Crown of Ruin
by GintaxAlvissForever
Summary: [Fantasy AU] Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. Things would change for the both of them when the Queen of Izumo ends up dead and the one accused of her death is her only son Corrin and they decide to protect him...
1. Rough Beginnings

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters. Finally I don't own Disgaea. That belongs to Nippon Ichi.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change for the both of them when the ruler of the neutral faction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon and others to be added**

 **Rated: T (for teen) but rating will increase to M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Rough Beginnings Lead to a Faithful Encounter

* * *

"STOP THIEF!"

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY! AFTER HIM!"

A sword was brought down on the men that were chasing after the thief. The thief looked more like a mercenary than anything else with his strong build. He was strong enough to wield the gigantic sword that slayed the man who hired him to do work outside the city he lived in. Blood dripped onto the sword and onto the floor as the large sword was pulled out. The other person froze seeing his boss being killed right before his eyes. Now, he was on his knees begging the thief to not kill him.

"And have you report me to the guards? Unlikely."

With one clean motion, the head of the second man was cleanly removed from his neck. The thief should have been cleaner with the murders this time around, but he couldn't afford to leave any survivors. Walking over to his former boss, the young male took the pouch full of change and rushed off.

* * *

The protagonist of this story is named Cloud Strife. He has a last name because he's not originally from the place known as Izumo. Cloud claims to be from beyond the continent he was on and declared on multiple occasions that he will return to the place he was born someday. For now, we can focus on what he is doing in Izumo instead of talking about things that might never come.

Cloud is a mercenary with little to no memories of his past. He can claim to be from beyond the continent, but he was known for not having the best of memories. As a result, he could only remember being a mercenary most of his life for the country of Izumo.

Izumo is the neutral faction squished between the peace loving Hoshido and the glory seeking Nohr. Izumo is where the sun and the moon meet resulting in beautiful nights. Izumo was a place that hated wars and forbid anyone from Hoshido and Nohr from clashing weapons. Izumo was ruled by the beautiful queen Mikoto. She had one son and three retainers by her side. Her son had two retainers with him. She was best friends with Duke Izana as well as the leaders of Hoshido and Nohr. She brought everlasting peace to Izumo that everyone wanted to have forever. Alas, there were still monsters outside the peaceful kingdom and mercenaries like Cloud were tasked to eliminate them. Granted, the patrols of both Hoshido and Nohr were more than enough but those in the neutral faction needed to make money too.

This was the problem Cloud had though. He had terrible luck despite his skill in combat. Whenever he took a job, either he didn't do it correctly thus was not paid for his service or something stupid happened and his boss would not have the money to pay him. It got to the point where Cloud just killed one of his employees one day to take the money that he wasn't being paid. From them on, Cloud made it a mental note to kill people who were being cheap with the pay. This garnered unwanted attention, but he had to take the risk if he wanted to survive. The guy needed to take care of his childhood friend Tifa and a few others, so he was willing to get his hands dirty.

For the most part, the people after him weren't really that bright. He was able to out maneuver them every time. This time, they were persistent if only because they were with the eldest son of the Nohr Kingdom Marx. When Marx was around, no one escaped him. Cloud had gotten lucky, but his luck might have run out if not for his accomplice of some sorts who went by the name of Bayonetta.

Bayonetta was an odd woman. She was very sexy and anyone could tell that there was more than meets the eye. She was poor but her skills in making clothes were extraordinary. Cloud assumed the raven haired woman was putting herself through hell intentionally. It would explain how she had all of this money stashed away to continue looking beautiful and getting the highest quality material to make her clothes, but still live in a rundown house that was at the edge of Izumo. Cloud had learned her secret hence why he was able to be around her despite the fact their personalities clash.

Bayonetta's secret was that she was a witch from the ancient times. She had the power to manipulate her hair and could summon demons to do her bidding. Cloud had witnessed this once when she was out in the field during one of his mercenary jobs and saw her kill some monsters in a rather awful manner. She would not kill Cloud as long as he did not tell anyone her secret. Cloud just needed her to cover for him when he got into a tight spot with the law…which was becoming frequent as of late.

Cloud grumbled hearing Marx's authoritative voice at the front of the store. His retainers were trying to calm him down, but Bayonetta was being a tease. She refused to answer the question and proceeded to hit on the eldest sibling instead. Marx's young male retainer was too busy checking her out to care that Cloud was in sight and could have very well been arrested. Meanwhile, the young female retainer was getting jealous with Bayonetta's body and asked if she could kill her slowly.

"…Are you certain that a man who goes by the name Cloud Strife has not stopped by?"

"The only clouds I meet are in the sky." Bayonetta answered simply. "If that is all, please leave my workshop. I have some dresses to make."

Marx had no choice but to give up for the day. He would be back if he caught wind that a spiky blond male was wondering around the area again.

"Lazward, Pieri, we leave."

The knightly figure slowly made his leave. Pieri wanted to have the last word and stuck her tongue out at Bayonetta. The older woman was surprised at the immaturity being demonstrated behind Marx's back. Lazward had to pull Pieri away so she wouldn't start an actual fight.

"My, the kids these days sure are feisty." She hummed as she looked toward the hidden door. "You can come out now."

"You know, you didn't have to rile them up." Cloud responded as he left the room to speak to her in person.

"Is that all the thanks I get?" She asked. "My, you can be so cruel."

"What is cruel is you hogging all that money in the back." Cloud retorted as he went to her drawer to get out a bandage that could be used to wrap his buster sword. "With that sort of money, you can move up the ladder and not worry about being poor…"

"I have my reasons staying in this spot." She said simply.

"Yeah, yeah. You said something about biding your time. I think you're just wasting it if you ask me."

"I don't expect a human to understand us witches." Bayonetta finished. "Now, run along now and go buy something special for your…special someone with that stolen money."

Blue eyes glared at black hair as he finished wiping the blood off his sword and wrapped a clean bandage around his buster sword.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He snarled as he turned to leave. "And we're not dating."

Bayonetta waved him off before she went back to fiddling with the sewing machine…the one thing she couldn't operate while pretending to be a seamstress.

* * *

Cloud made his way down toward the marketplace of Izumo. The place was always the most energetic place and it was also the place where strange individuals gathered together. Izumo was known for having merchants who sold items that were from both the Hoshido and Nohr region. Heck, there were items that weren't from any of the locations. Cloud assumed they were from beyond the two countries. How Cloud wished to be able to leave this place with his childhood friend Tifa and start anew. That was wishful thinking seeing as how he had the worse luck when it came to finding a decent job. Resorting to being a thief was not how he wanted to spend his day, and knowing his luck…he feared that it would run out.

Whenever Cloud went out, he did two things with his buster sword. The smarter option would have been to leave it at either Bayonetta's place or with Tifa. When those options were closed off, Cloud had to wrap his sword around a white bandage. This was very risky because not all of the men on patrol were as stupid as the one that was usually on his case. If they asked him to remove the bandage and matched his face with the sightings, then he would be screwed. Because Cloud wasn't in the best of moods, he resorted to the more dangerous option.

Before Cloud could think of what to buy for dinner for Tifa (mainly), he noticed a commotion going on in the herb section of the market place. Jokes aside about the drug lords, Cloud knew that putting himself in the spotlight would cost him greatly. Still, he still had a sense of justice despite these terrible times. His legs found their way toward the herb stand to see what the commotion was about.

There was some conflict going on between the merchant in charge of the medicine shop and a young peasant. This peasant wrapped himself with a cloak that covered his body. Only his face and hands could be seen with the white cloak he was wearing. If Cloud were to ask Bayonetta about the type of cloak the peasant was wearing, she would bring up how high quality it was compared to the other poor folks with raggy cloaks begging for change.

"Please, I need all the herbs I can!" The peasant pleaded. Cloud could confirm now confirm it was a young man from the youthful voice (although he made an assumption that the peasant was a boy from the beginning). "My mother is very sick! She needs the herbs by tomorrow!"

"Fork up the money."

"Huh?"

"You think I would sell my entire shop to you just because you are giving me those puppy dog eyes? These special herbs took forever to obtain and are already reserved for another customer. You're better off asking someone else."

"But…" The boy seemed disheartened by the news. "I don't have all day to be asking around. She needs it now!"

The merchant would have swatted the boy if the intended customer didn't show up at that moment. Cloud growled seeing it was one of those upper class twits that stayed near the center of Izumo where all the rich people were. Cloud hated them with a passion. They never contributed to anything in society. They leeched off the queen who was too kind for her own good and they constantly mocked the Duke who couldn't take things seriously to save his life. The worse part Cloud recalled was how some of them were obsessed with the queen's son and wanted his hand in marriage. Gender didn't seem to matter to these rich folks, but the prince might have had something special they wanted besides having absolute authority of the neutral nation.

This rich man wore the finest silk kimono from Hoshido and put on the most expensive makeup. He was one of those guys who cared about his physical appearance. Too bad the guy was incredibly ugly.

"Move along, brat. I'm picking up my herbs now!"

"But I-"

The boy was pushed onto the ground almost immediately as the sound of cash collided onto the merchant's table. The merchant smiled at the shiny gold coins scattered around.

"The herbs are in the back." The merchant told him.

"Why, thank you. I will take these high quality herbs now."

Honestly, if the peasant had money, then there wouldn't be an issue. Cloud gritted his teeth at the scene though. The peasant's attention was focused on the rich man and the herbs now. The people found it foolish for the boy to beg the flamboyant man especially with how the man almost removed the cloak from the boy's head.

"Please, Mr.…I really need those herbs for my mother…" He begged as he got on his knees. "Please!"

"You sure whine a lot even for a peasant." The rich man responded. "Maybe if I take the cloak off and see your face in the dirt, I'll change my mind…"

The boy flinched at the request. The rich man laughed seeing how the peasant didn't want to reveal his identity. He would have kicked the boy down had Cloud not finally intervened.

"I believe the kid deserves some of those herbs." Cloud stated in his usual monotone voice.

The rich man was not pleased with how he was being manhandled by some random stranger.

"Unhand me! Or I'll make you regret it!"

Honestly, the blond didn't care at this point. The thief had unraveled the bandages revealing the buster sword. Immediately, everyone jumped and started to flee. Cloud only needed to point the tip to the rich man's throat to get him to listen.

"Just drop the herbs, and I'll let you go."

The rich man was a coward. He feared for his life. Despite his smug attitude earlier, he dropped everything and fled. Cloud would have to run soon seeing as how he would attract the guard's attention. Cloud ended up slamming the bag of coins he stole onto the table.

"…Will this do not only for the herbs, but to pretend you didn't see me?"

The merchant was also terrified of Cloud's appearance. There wasn't a single person who wasn't aware of the thief with the large blade. It made one wonder how he was able to hide so well despite the large weapon. Now that he had more time on his hand, Cloud helped the peasant off the ground and handed him the bag of herbs.

"Here."

"Ehh…"

"You were begging for this."

"…Thank you."

Cloud shook his head at being thanked. He lost his hard earned money after all.

"Kids like you shouldn't be hanging out in these parts." The blond thief warned him causing the boy to flinch. "You'll be taken advantage of."

"I know…but mother just collapsed this morning and I volunteered to go get the herbs but…" The boy shut his mouth realizing he was talking too much. "…I'm sorry. I have to go. Mother is waiting for me."

Cloud had offered to take the boy away from the marketplace to where he needed to be. The boy only allowed him to follow him out of the marketplace area before intending to part.

"…Wait!"

Cloud didn't know why he needed to call out to the boy again. He reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Immediately, the cloak slid off revealing a handsome young man with medium length silver hair and pointy ears. Cloud gasped wondering if he was part of that race.

"Y-Yes?"

What was more fascinating than his silver hair or pointy ears though were his eyes. The boy's eyes were the most beautiful red eyes Cloud has ever come across. Red eyes in general usually signified the supernatural like demons…but besides the monsters outside of Izumo, there weren't any as unique as the boy in front of him.

"Nothing…my mistake…"

The boy frowned as he slowly put his cloak back up.

"…Can I get a name of the man who helped me out back there?"

Cloud remained silent. He debated with himself whether or not to give his name to someone he just met but…

"It's Cloud…Cloud Strife."

The boy laughed at the name. "Two names? How odd."

"Excuse me?"

"…I'm Corrin. I hope we meet again."

The boy known as Corrin took off at lightning speed before Cloud could say anything. He questioned why Corrin was rather quick on his feet. The blond shook his head realizing he needed to get out of everyone's sight. It won't be long until those guards start looking for him.

"Looks like I'm out of luck." Cloud thought darkly to himself as he heard his stomach growling.

* * *

Cloud had to take the longer path back to Bayonetta's place. The rich guy did tell the guards what had happened and now Cloud had to use all of his wits on an empty stomach. It was a miracle he wasn't caught with how much it was growling. His mood worsened when the sun went down and the moon came out. That was how long it took to outsmart the persistent guards. There were so many of them from Nohr this time that Cloud wondered what was the occasion.

The thief wanted to ask Bayonetta when he made it back to her place in one piece, but all she did was giggle seeing Cloud waste his money on a peasant instead of buying dinner for himself and Tifa.

"You really are bad with money." Bayonetta teased as Cloud hung the buster sword in the hidden room. "I _**almost**_ feel sorry for Tifa."

Again, Cloud growled at the mention of his childhood friend. "She's fine. She makes enough to get by at the bar."

When the blue eyed thief glanced over to his older companion, he couldn't help but roll his eyes seeing her waggle her finger as if taunting him about his way of thinking.

"Tsk, tsk. Cloud, you can't keep playing with a girl's heart." The black haired seamstress stated. "That girl is waiting for you to quit your life of crime and live a normal life."

"Like that will ever happen." Cloud murmured to himself. "Tifa already knew my line of work is dangerous. She also knows I have terrible luck with my clients. She'll understand if I don't buy her a present again or take her out to dinner…"

"You're making that girl cry at home."

Cloud just wanted to shut Bayonetta up by telling her he wasn't ready for a relationship. He hated making promises to his childhood friend when he knew he couldn't keep them. If he was more sure of himself, he would be able to support her despite turning to the life of a criminal when his job didn't go well.

"Hopefully you have a better excuse than "I gave my money to a peasant because I felt sorry for him". Tifa is kind, but she has her limits."

"That is my excuse." Cloud told her. "And the peasant's name is Corrin if you want more information."

The temperature in the room dropped immediately at the mention of the silver haired teen.

"Corrin?"

"Yes, that was the kid's name. Why do you seem so shaken?"

"Shaken? Me. Oh no."

"Then what is it?"

"Tsk, tsk. Cloud, despite your occupation, you seem to be locked out of the loop."

Bayonetta sighed realizing that Cloud really was in the dark about this.

"You missed a huge opportunity by letting that kid run off. He's actually really rich despite his appearance."

Cloud blinked not believing what the seamstress said.

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to. You can confirm it yourself in due time."

At this point, someone came into the shop unexpectedly. Bayonetta was not used to late night customers unless the person had a deadline. Cloud had to hide to make sure it wasn't the guards that were searching for him. The person to greet Bayonetta was a person hidden behind a cloak identical to the one that Corrin wore this afternoon. The only difference was this person was wearing a shiny midnight black one compared to the beautiful white one Corrin had. It made this person look more sinister than Corrin was when the hood came off.

"What can I do for you Ms.?"

It was a woman underneath the cloak. Bayonetta couldn't get a good look at her face, but she had her suspicions.

"You are a witch…correct?"

Cloud flinched at the question thrown at his older comrade. How would Bayonetta respond to an accusation like that...

"And what if I am?"

The girl expected Bayonetta to be snarky with her and got straight to the point.

"I need someone to craft a dragonstone for me. It's very important."

"Oh?" Bayonetta who appeared to be bored speaking to her customer was suddenly intrigued. "Why would you ask for a fictional item like a dragonstone assuming I am a witch and had the materials to fix it?"

"I cannot go into detail of why I need a dragonstone," the girl began, "but I know the prince is in danger. If I had a dragonstone, then perhaps his life will be spared…"

"Prince?" Cloud asked making his presence known. "Who's the prince?"

"You already met him." Bayonetta told him simply. "You can use your brain to figure out why I said you let a good opportunity slip by."

Cloud's eyes widened at her words. The girl underneath the cloak growled at his presence, but said nothing. Cloud couldn't care less about the supernatural talk the two ladies were discussing. All that rang in his mind was one thing.

The peasant Corrin he saved was the crowned prince of Izumo and Cloud needed to find a way to put Corrin in his debt.

 _This is it._ Cloud thought to himself after finding out the truth. _This is just what I needed to hear. It won't be long until I'm out of this miserable life with Tifa…_

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 4257 words.**

 **Li: You know you got other stories to work on, right?**

 **Me: I blame Ashe for the AU hell I am in. Notes!  
**

 **1\. I made Cloud the thief in this idea simply because I wanted create a similar opening to FFVII where he's a hired mercenary. Except in this story, he works for no one and struggles to help his friend. He does mercenary jobs but resorts to stealing when things don't go well. He's strong enough to remain a mercenary, but his reputation as a thief has gotten him in trouble with the law.**

 **2\. Bayonetta is the tailor simply to follow the plot. Hair stylish would have been what I went for, but the plot actually requires clothes over hair. Plus, I want to hide that she has the same powers as she does in her canon universe, so she has to hide the fact she can manipulate her hair.**

 **3\. Corrin is the only character is that keeping his English name (for plot reasons anyway). Everyone else has their Japanese names. I chose him as the prince over someone like Robin mainly due to how Pit and Shulk are more heroic while Cloud and Bayonetta are anti-heroes.**

 **4\. Izumo is the neutral fraction in Hoshido that will not allow any fights to occur between the two nations. I have Mikoto rule this nation just to add to the power of a neutral state that isn't the third kingdom.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	2. The Prince's Daily Life

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The Prince's Daily Life

* * *

In the great temple of Izumo, the queen Mikoto rests on her bed. The beautiful queen had fallen ill and collapsed due to overworking herself. As the queen of Izumo, Mikoto had the people to attend as well as her personal matters that might have been the root cause to her collapse. She fainted this morning when she attempted to make breakfast for her son, but she wasn't able to hold the pot in her hands and fell to the floor. Her retainers would rush to her aid and check her temperature. The queen's life was not in danger, but given how an important event would occur the next night, she needed to recover in a day.

Her son volunteered to get the herbs needed to heal her overnight. The task would be difficult since no one would be willing to give him the herbs needed if they found out the reason for needing them in the first place. Mikoto may have been loved, but her retainers knew that if the aristocrats found out, they would use this as a bargaining chip with her especially with what would happen tomorrow night. Corrin's plan wasn't exactly the best plan. He assumed that people would pity him if he told them a half-truth about his sickly mother and allow him to pay later. He really couldn't afford anyone to figure out his identity after all. In retrospect, if he had asked the herb merchant as a prince, he would have been able to get it easily, but again he couldn't alert the aristocrats.

Corrin was simply lucky when someone had stepped in. His heart raced at the man with the buster sword threatening both the aristocrat and the merchant for the herbs. The silver haired prince intended to pay for it later, but chances are he wouldn't have a chance to given that it would mean having to tell his mother's retainers how he was able to obtain the herbs without resorting to violence. The blond mercenary did not attack them, but they wouldn't react well to finding out that Corrin accepted help from this man.

As kind as Corrin was, he wanted to prioritize his mother over anything else so even if he got the herbs through questionable methods, he was going to use these herbs to create a medicine that could cure her overnight. The silver haired prince had spent eighteen years perfecting his healing spells and learning about all types of medicines to be able to achieve great results. The retainers allowed Corrin time alone when he returned from the marketplace to make the potion.

Mikoto had three retainers by her side: Orochi, Yukimura and Yuugiri. All three have been with the queen for a very long time and had sworn their life to her. They formed an odd quartet that had made Corrin's life easier. If he were in the same situations as the siblings of Nohr, he might not have as much freedom to pursue whatever he wanted before he became king. Orochi was the old-fashion fortune teller and a powerful mage. Yukimura served as the tactician of Izumo although his tactics were rather cruel in contrast to Mikoto's pacifist ways. Yuugiri was a magnificent Pegasus rider who enjoyed the thrill of battle even if Mikoto preferred the least violent solution. Regardless, as long as they were loyal to Mikoto, Corrin wouldn't have to worry about them one day disobeying his mother in favor of what they wanted.

"Master Corrin, is the medicine almost ready?"

Corrin had two retainers that were always by his side. The one who has taken care of him tentatively was a young blue haired maid named Flora. She was a mysterious girl with ice powers but overall was not a good fighter. She was better at doing the chores around the temple and had Gunter do the fighting instead. Gunter was an old veteran fighter that had been in Izumo longer than Corrin has been alive. He was a man who kept many secrets to himself. The red eyed prince didn't know much about him, but he heard from the other servants he was hired to protect Corrin at all cost when he was born. Gunter was like the father he never had, and for that he was forever grateful. Corrin wouldn't know what to do if he lost both retainers…

"Yes, I just need to put one more leaf in the bottle and…done!"

After channeling magic that he was gifted with from birth, Corrin was able to finally create a green potion that was meant for healing colds instantly. Corrin had researched into this magic that he was blessed with and it seemed to run through the veins of certain family members. The Hoshido and Nohr line were blessed with powerful magic that could manipulate the terrains to its surroundings. Corrin's had similar magic despite not being related to either kingdom, but he was also able to master the arts of healing faster. He was promised that when he became king that he would be given more information on his heritage along with other things Corrin had been wishing to do when he reached adulthood.

Flora quickly led Corrin straight to his mother's room where she was being attended to. Orochi waited at the door with her arms folded. She smiled seeing the prince finish the potion in record time and allowed him into the room. Inside, Corrin had asked Flora to hold a tea cup up for him so he could pour the potion inside it.

"Mother, if you drink…you will start to feel better in a couple of hours." Corrin told her softly. "Don't worry. It's not toxic."

Corrin tried to lighten up the mood with a joke. The prince was a terrible cook and he was even worse with making something as tea. Potions and medicine were a different story entirely though, but Yuugiri teased him about secretly planning to assassinate everyone with his innocent eyes when he handed others his hand-made medicine.

"Thank you…Corrin…" Mikoto said quietly as Yukimura raised his queen's head slowly so she could easily sip the potion made by her son. "Sorry for trouble you all…"

"Mother, don't think about that. You were tired. Just rest." Corrin responded rather quickly. "If you need me, please do not hesitate to call for me."

"Thank you, Corrin." The green haired tactician thanked causing Corrin to blush at how he was dropping the title for once.

"It's nothing…just…take care of mother…"

The prince made his way out of the room and proceeded to head back to his room. He would have stayed by his mother's side, but her retainers would do that for him. Plus, he needed to ask Gunter about something important.

The veteran was waiting for Corrin in his room. He had made himself at home sitting at Corrin's chair and reading the book the prince was currently reading about herbs.

"I see you used underhanded methods to obtain these herbs." Gunter said harshly the minute Corrin closed the door behind him. Flora wasn't following him due to helping the other three retainers. Corrin needed alone time with Gunter anyway.

"Huh? How did you-"

"Merchant Sennou is not one to keep his mouth shut about being robbed." Gunter grumbled. "I went to the marketplace to see how things turned out and I learned you had a thief steal it from him and flee. I hope you realize that the thief will be punished if he were caught."

"T-That's not what happened!" Corrin exclaimed. Realizing he was caught red handed, he explained what exactly occurred early on in the day. Gunter was a good listener so he would nod his head at certain points of the story before closing his eyes.

"I see. So he stepped in before anything had occurred."

"Yes. I intend to pay the merchant later, but mother's health was more important."

"No need. I have paid for you."

"Eh? But…wouldn't he…"

"He knows, but the thief is still in danger. Pray that the thief never shows his face in the marketplace again."

The soon to be king had a feeling that Cloud would be okay. He appeared to be a tough nut crack, so he wouldn't have to ask the guards to bring Cloud to his chambers and shelter him.

The topic changed to what Corrin wanted to ask Gunter for. The old man was ready for the question and rejected him immediately.

"Why won't you help me train with the sword?" Corrin questioned in an exasperated tone. "I need to be able to fight and protect mother from those awful suitors."

"Your mother has told me to not train you. You are not ready to fight."

"But I'm going to be the king tomorrow! What kind of king can't use a sword to fight for his people? Gunter!"

"Corrin," he began again in a serious tone, "you will learn soon enough that it is not just strength that will allow you to guide this kingdom. You already possess wonderful magic properties. That should be enough."

"But…"

"In due time, you will come to appreciate your strengths. For now, be patient. Everything will be given to you in due time."

Corrin sighed again at Gunter's words. Again, he failed to get him to train him and again would he not know anything about the history of Izumo that was not given to him in these books. He would have to wait until after he was crowned king to get any information.

* * *

Later on that evening, Corrin was rudely awakened by the sounds coming outside of his room. The prince had sensitive hearing, so even the smallest sound could wake him up. He growled hearing the footsteps intruding into the temple.

 _Those guys again?_ Corrin asked himself darkly as he forced himself to get out of bed and leave the room. _What do they want with mother now?_

There were two countries to the east and west of Izumo (effectively squeezing the neutral country in the middle). The east country to the sun was called Hoshido while the country to the west where the moon shined bright was called Nohr. They both had powerful leaders who wanted to claim the entire continent for themselves with each other standing in the way. Izumo has kept the two countries from going to war thanks to Corrin's mother. There was a cost for Mikoto to keep the peace. Both kings of each kingdom had fallen in love with Mikoto and both have asked for her hand in marriage. That was where tensions rose. Mikoto could only choose one king, but no matter who she chose, the other would be heartbroken and might retaliate by sending troops to attack Izumo. War was over the horizon at this point and Mikoto was only delaying the inevitable…

Corrin predicted that the soldiers who showed up were from Nohr. He was only half-right as they weren't soldiers but King Garon's retainers Macbeth and Ganz who were barging in uninvited. Corrin hated the people from Nohr more than he did with Hoshido. At least the people of Hoshido learned how to knock and brought gifts with them. Whenever Macbeth showed up with Ganz, they just forced their way in like they owned the place. Orochi was already ready to burn them to a crisp for causing a scene. Mikoto had slowly come out of the room confused at the visitors that arrived so late at night.

"What the hell do you two want? We're all trying to sleep!" Orochi yelled.

 _You're proving to be counterproductive._ Corrin thought to himself as he hid behind a pillar to listen in on the dialogue.

"I am only here to speak to the queen about tomorrow." The sorcerer known as Macbeth spoke. "It will only take a minute."

"I will give you a minute before I feed you to the beasts outside Izumo." Orochi hissed before Mikoto stepped in.

"It's okay, Orochi. I am willing to listen."

"My queen, you must rest. You are still not well!"

Corrin wanted to run to his mother seeing how pale she was but remained in hiding. Macbeth grinned seeing the queen in her nightgown.

"Ah, faking a sickness I see." Macbeth taunted nearly resulting in his hair actually being burned by the purple haired spellcaster. "My queen, I should warn you that you cannot keep postponing your answer. His majesty's patience is growing thin and his heart continues to yearn for you. You cannot keep denying him a chance to be happy for your own selfishness."

"Excuse me?!" Orochi hissed as flames started to appear on her scroll. "How dare you insult the queen at this hour?!"

Corrin wanted to go back to his room and get a weapon that he could use to throw at the mean sorcerer's head. However, that would attract too much attention, so he watched what his mother would say instead.

"The banquet is tomorrow." Mikoto spoke. "My definitive answer will be given there. For now…let me rest."

Macbeth hummed at how the queen was finally giving in. Tomorrow would decide everything.

"Eighteen years my queen…his majesty has waited for an answer. He is getting old and if you were hoping for him to croak, you are sorely mistaken."

"No…that's not it…" Mikoto mumbled to herself. "I…"

Macbeth just chuckled as he ordered Ganz to leave with him. Orochi murmured some old language curse words that Corrin could not make out as the door closed on them before focusing her attention back to the raven haired queen. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"My queen, there's no need to worry about that slimeball's words. You just need to get some rest."

"…My love…" Mikoto continue to whisper as the droplets fell from her eyes and onto the floor. "I'm sorry…I can't hold you in my memories anymore…"

Corrin was able to hear her as Orochi guided her to her room. His fists were shaking not only because of Macbeth but because of hearing Mikoto whisper about her husband…Corrin's father who he hated with a passion.

 _Even after all of these years, you still make mother suffer._ Corrin thought bitterly to himself. _Because of you…mother has to choose between Hoshido and Nohr…we're all pawns in this political game because you left us…_

Growling, Corrin stormed back to his room not caring if Orochi caught him making his way back to his room. He just needed to sleep. Unfortunately for him, this would be one of those sleepless nights.

* * *

Corrin rose up from the nightmare that had plagued his dreams. He let out a gasp before he placed his hand against his forehead. Sweat dripped down his forehead and onto his hand.

 _Another dream._ The prince thought darkly to himself. _Why is it always the same dream?  
_

The dream had been attacking Corrin as of late. It was the same one too. His mother would be killed; a war between Hoshido and Nohr broke out with Izumo caught in the middle. Corrin was forced to choose between his siblings, but by not deciding, he ended up running through a pool of blood. It was the blood of everyone he cared for…dead because of his decision. At the end of it all was a creepy man who managed to freeze him in place and force a wedding ring on him. Corrin would feel his power drained before he fainted. This is where he woke up every time due to hearing the man's laughter before he slipped into an unconscious state.

"It's nothing." Corrin told himself. "It's just a dream…nothing bad will happen…"

He wished he could tell his mother about these dreams he was having. He would feel more secure about what lies ahead. Of course, Mikoto was too busy preparing for the banquet tonight, so he literally had no one to turn too about his personal issues. Sure he had his servants, but this was something he could only speak to a family member about.

The banquet would be a life changing event for Corrin and his mother. Held in the only pagoda in the center of Izumo (a little ways from where Corrin lived now), the banquet will be the moment when Mikoto finally chooses who she will marry. She will either marry the king of Hoshido or the king of Nohr. Whoever won would claim Izumo as his own territory. Corrin wished Mikoto had a third option. He simply didn't want Mikoto to marry someone due to politics and end up miserable later. Heck, Corrin wished she didn't remarry at all after her first husband abandoned her after giving birth.

Marrying for love was impossible in this situation though. If she married for love, war would surely break out. Corrin felt that he knew his mother's heart leaned toward Sumeragi, but Garon has been so kind to her and even sending his children to patrol the inside and outside of Izumo to make the nation a safer place.

 _I hope I never have to be put in this situation._ Corrin thought darkly to himself. _If I had the option, I would marry them both, but if that were a decision, mother would have chosen it sooner. She's going to break one of their hearts._

Corrin was so busy lost in thought that he didn't realize that his mother was knocking on the door. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he stood up and went over to the door.

"Good morning, mother." Corrin greeted trying to muster the best smile he can for her. "Did you sleep okay?"

It was obvious that she slept terribly. Dark eye rings were under her eyes even as she had forced herself to wake up for today.

"Yes. I hope you slept well too."

"Of course mother. Today is an important day. I have to be at my best."

Like mother, like son. Corrin wasn't the best at lying but Mikoto never questioned it. To make sure she wouldn't ask, Corrin changed the subject about tonight.

"Mother, have you made your decision?"

Mikoto's expression saddened. "Are you talking about whose proposal I will accept?"

Corrin nodded his head.

"…That's…" She started but then closed her mouth. "I still haven't…"

"Mother…I really hope you choose carefully. Ms. Orochi said that you have been holding them off for eighteen years."

"Yes…"

"It can't end well if you don't choose wisely."

Why was Corrin scolding his own mother? He knew the answer. He wanted Mikoto to remain single and continue living with her. It was wrong to think that, but he just couldn't bear having another male figure in the house that wasn't Gunter or Yukimura. It also meant having to deal with a whole barrage of soldiers from either Hoshido or Nohr invading his personal space. The idea of having more siblings is great, but at the end of the day, things needed to stay how it was, but that was too much to ask.

"I understand. As for you Corrin, you must remember to be on your best behavior tonight. Tonight you will be crowned the King of Izumo once I have chosen my husband."

Corrin slowly nodded his head. "Yes…I understand."

Mikoto smiled as she went over to her son and slowly reached out to his face. If it was anyone else, they would be weirded out by Mikoto's action, but it was something that Mikoto was known for doing that it rubbed off of her son as well.

"No matter what happens, I am proud to have you as my son, Corrin." She spoke gently. Her compliment made Corrin blush.

"Mother…I…"

"I'm sorry that I made things difficult for you. As future king, it is important to know how to fight…yet…I prevented you from wielding a sword in my presence…"

"N-No…it's okay mother. I'm good with a bow as a result! Besides, I can ask big brother Marx or big brother Ryoma if I need help on that. I'm certain that no matter who you choose to be your husband, they'll help me with my training on the path to be a great king that would make you proud mother."

Cheesy as it was, Corrin was right. He would have to accept his role as king and to do that he needed to learn how to use the sword better. He wasn't a violent person by nature, so he had stayed away from using the sword and any other weapon that was considered barbaric. He learned how to use the bow from one of his potential Hoshido step-brothers. Corrin was no expert but it was just enough for him to be able to protect himself. As a king…that wouldn't really work.

Their conversation was cut short when there was another knock at the door.

"Excuse my intrusion!"

Orochi forced her way in with her usual smile on her face.

"Morning your Majesty! Morning, prince~" She hummed. "Lovely morning, ain't it?"

Mikoto nodded her head as a response and gave her the best smile she could muster. Corrin's smile faltered only because his ears were sensitive to sound and Orochi was the loudest of his mother's retainers.

"I'm here to remind you prince that your clothes are ready for pick up at the Witch's Tailor." She hummed.

"Witch's Tailor?" Corrin asked.

"Yeah, that's where all the nobles go to get their clothes made." Orochi explained as she twirled her hair playfully. "I even got a cute kimono from the seamstress."

"I know what a tailor is…but why witch?"

Orochi didn't know why the seamstress would have her store named after one of the most ridiculed people in society, but at the end of the day, Bayonetta was no witch in her eyes and made the prettiest garments imaginable.

"I already paid for those clothes, so just tell her that you're picking up in my name. Take Gunter with you so nothing weird happens."

The silver haired prince shook his head in annoyance. "Ms. Orochi, I am very capable of walking around Izumo by myself, and I do not need Gunter with me."

"Stop with the formalities." Orochi told him. "Just make sure you get your clothes before the banquet. I need to make sure I ordered the right size after all." She smirked as she looked at his feet. "Don't worry. I got the perfect shoes for you."

Corrin would no longer be able to ask any more questions. Orochi needed Mikoto to start getting ready. The raven haired queen hid her sad eyes behind her bangs before following after her retainer leaving Corrin alone in his room. The young prince let out another groan before he forced himself to get ready to pick up the outfits. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too tight for him.

* * *

Because Corrin didn't wear a cloak like he normally did, people ended up gawking in his direction. Perhaps it was the silver hair he had or maybe it was his pointy ears. They couldn't see his eyes so they wouldn't be able to see the beautiful red eyes. Gunter had Corrin sit in front of him while they traveled on his horse. This way, no one would try and approach the prince. Everyone recognized Gunter with how he would often be with Mikoto along with her retainers. Corrin in contrast barely came out of his home not because he was not allowed to leave but because he intentionally secluded himself to learn everything he could before he would have to interact with people. Corrin was in no way anti-social. He simply wanted to perfect his healing abilities first.

Gunter went over to Corrin what to say when he goes to pick up his clothes for tonight. He also explained who exactly they were picking up from and why Corrin needed to keep his guard up.

"If she asks you a question, do not give her any information." Gunter finished. "She is a sly one."

Corrin was a trusting person. He knew this and believed most of what his old retainer told him. Yet, describing the seamstress caused something to stir inside the prince. He wanted Gunter to hurry and meet him.

As they headed toward the edge of Izumo closer to the west where Nohr was, they passed by Marx and his retainers. Corrin wanted to stop to say hello to his possible older brother from Nohr when Marx's voice caused his ears to ring.

"YOU FOOL! Why haven't you found him yet?!"

Marx had two retainers but he was only yelling at Lazward in this situation. Pieri giggled seeing the gray haired man tense up at his prince's shouting.

"M-My apologies Master Marx, our thief has slipped under the radar again. We apprehended someone who matches the description, but unfortunately he wasn't the culprit."

"Blast, we cannot have a criminal running around tonight! We must capture him as soon as possible before another life is lost!"

"Does Pieri have your permission to kill Mr. Strife?" The multi-colored girl questioned with a cute smile on her face.

"If that is our last option, then yes." Marx told her. "Lazward, you understand how dire the situation is, right?"

Lazward nodded his head. Cloud was more trouble than he was worth. Even if Marx cared for the citizens for Izumo, it would still be seen as an order from Garon to get in Mikoto's favor. Cloud recently has been reported to be stealing money from people repeatedly and killing them if they didn't give him the money. Granted, some of these people had it coming if they hired a mercenary as dangerous as Cloud, but the way Cloud killed these people was unsettling.

"Big brother Marx!" Corrin exclaimed immediately getting their attention. "What are you doing here? The banquet is tonight. Shouldn't you be getting ready."

Marx's stern expression softened hearing the young prince's voice. "Corrin…"

Lazward and Pieri's demeanor changed seeing the silver haired prince. Because they see Corrin so much, they were allowed to casually wave at him instead of treating him formally. That attitude would have to change once Corrin was crowned king of Izumo.

"Is there anything you need help with?" Corrin questioned. "I will be crowned king soon, so I can help with whatever problem you are having at the moment."

Marx smiled at Corrin's offer, but he would have to decline. It would not be right for Corrin to get his hands dirty so soon.

"Thank you for your offer, but I must decline Corrin. This task has been assigned by me and I will see through it until the end."

Corrin frowned thinking that it was just Marx volunteering to do the job that the Izumo soldiers were supposed to do. If the blond prince of Nohr was doing this, then chances are Ryoma was doing this too, but since Hoshido was to the east of Izumo, he was probably patrolling the east side of said nation.

 _I have a feeling I'll meet him very soon._ Corrin thought to himself before Gunter reminded him that they have errands to run. Marx was rather relieved that despite Corrin's good sense of hearing, he didn't know they were struggling…even if it was apparent in his eyes.

Gunter urged his horse to continue walking down the road leaving the trio alone.

"Master Marx," Lazward began, "while I think it will be difficult to find our culprit tonight, Pieri and I will do all we can to track Cloud." He smirked. "If Cloud continues his pattern of stealing, he might end up in the pagoda tonight."

"And Pieri can't wait to kill him~"

"Right. Do not let your guard down." Marx warned them. "He is a formidable foe despite his status. If you come across him, make sure to warn me immediately."

* * *

Cloud was really starting to hate Marx at this point. This guy was as persistent as his retainers…even more so. With the crowning of the king and the decision tomorrow, Marx wanted to make sure all criminals were apprehended before then. He wasn't going to find the blond thief as long as Cloud stayed away from Bayonetta's tailor shop. Marx suspected Bayonetta of hiding Cloud, but there was never any proof. Cloud and Bayonetta were just too sneaky for the paladin.

Corrin and Gunter had arrived at the tailor shop where Orochi ordered the clothes. Gunter had volunteered to pick up the dress for him, but Corrin declined the offer. He wanted to see what type of outfit Orochi got him and chances are that she went over the top. He wanted something simple but not plain looking that would make him look bad next to his mother.

"Hello, I would like to pick up for my mother's attendant." Corrin said rather quickly as he walked into the shop. "Her name is Ms. Orochi and…oh!"

Normally, Corrin wouldn't pay attention to someone's physical appearance. He wasn't the type to fall head over heels for anyone who was attractive. Bayonetta was a different story entirely. His heart skipped a beat glancing at her face. Her glasses, her beauty mark…her hair…she was the perfect candidate for him to skinship.

"Darling, I know I'm gorgeous but it's rude to stare."

The corners of the witch's lips curved up into a smile seeing Corrin's face become a bright red tomorrow. Bayonetta thought messing with Cloud was entertaining. She just met this boy and she already liked him.

"S-S-Sorry!" He sputtered before looking anywhere but the older woman. "Umm…I-I would like to p-pick up…"

"I heard you the first time."

Bayonetta had her suspicions with the outfit she made when an old fashion hottie came into her store a couple of days ago and asked to prepare a pure white kimono with snowdrop flowers as the main design as well as an outfit that she assumed was for a prince when a blue cape was mentioned to go with the metallic white design that reminded the raven haired witch of scales of a dragon. Now that she saw Corrin, she easily put two and two together. These clothes were both made for him. One must have been the outfit he would wear tonight when he became the new King of Izumo. The other one must be something he wore around the house. Bayonetta admitted she might have made the kimono a little too feminine looking, but seeing Corrin, it would suit him just fine.

Cloud did not go into much detail of what Corrin had looked like. It was better this way. Bayonetta can examine the future king herself and make her judgement. He gave off the same vibe that the girl from last night gave. It was almost identical in a sense, but it might have been a coincidence.

Corrin was now mesmerized with the work Bayonetta did. Not only was she beautiful but she made his future king outfit appear regal. The best part was how the portion where his feet were strapons. He simply needed to slip into the armor and pull it up. The blue ribbon at the chess plate and his cape would allow the suit to stay up. As for the kimono…

"Ms. Orochi told you to make it girly I assume?"

"Girly? Well, I was given a vague description on the wearer, but looking at you, this would suit you perfectly."

Corrin wondered if Bayonetta was insulting him. He sighed as he murmured that as much as he admired his mother, he didn't want to be the splitting image of her. That would attract too much unwanted attention. The silver haired prince would take it anyway seeing as how he had no right to reject the kimono that the purple haired retainer paid for.

"If you want me to make amends-"

"No, this is fine." Corrin insisted despite his red eyes being fixated on the kimono still. "Ms. Orochi has already paid for it."

Corrin's impatience was starting to show with how slowly Bayonetta was neatly stuffing the clothes she made into a box. The prince didn't want to make idle chitchat. He had to get home and prepare himself for the long night.

"My, what adorable ears." Bayonetta suddenly commented catching his attention. "Are you not from around here?"

"Umm…that's…"

"Your highness," Gunter interrupted at that moment. "We must make haste."

"R-Right. Thank you for tailoring these clothes." Corrin thanked before he did a quick bow. Taking the boxes with him, Corrin left the store. Gunter did not leave with his prince at that moment. He simply glared at Bayonetta for even daring to ask about his ears.

"What? It's not every day you see a half-breed in these parts."

"Ma'am, it is best if you keep those words to yourself." Gunter warned her. "We do not need any more trouble coming our way. Now if you'll excuse me."

The old retainer left and shut the door behind him. Bayonetta could only smile at this fateful encounter. The light bulb went off in her head as she had a great plan that required Cloud to be with her. Perhaps tonight would be the night to initiate her plan.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 6239 words.**

 **Li: So Corrin is a helpless prince now?**

 **Me: Being a medic has its strong points, but expect him to be as experienced as he is at the beginning of Fates. Notes!**

 **1\. Corrin has a lot of classes attached to him. He can be the Herb Merchant via his knowledge with herbs, the War Priestess which is a female class only, but both these classes uses the bow (and yes I'm implying he's a better medic/archer than a swordfighter here). Corrin technically does not have the Nohr Prince/Princess class because he's not from Nohr, so it makes sense that he technically doesn't start with this class. Plus, there will be a skipped promotion seeing as how he gets the White Blood outfit.**

 **2\. If you're wondering where Felicia and Joker are, you'll have to wait a few chapters. But seeing as how Corrin has four servants by default and two are missing, it's kind of obvious where they are.**

 **3\. I'm not very good at writing Orochi speaking the old language. Bear with me on how she talks.**

 **4\. Someone on Tumblr did an analysis on the B Support with Kanna and his/her mother. Corrin's favorite color is confirmed white and described as either a white lily (the perfect flower in Animal Crossing) or a snowdrop flower. I went with the latter due to how it would be easier to implement the design onto the kimono. I applied it to male Corrin seeing as how Corrin is attuned with nature.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	3. Night of the Banquet

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Night of the Banquet

* * *

Gunther was able to take the prince back home with no issues. Corrin was hoping to get some peace and quiet before tomorrow, but there was another guest visiting his mom again. This time, it was the King of Hoshido Sumeragi who had come to see his only retainer Fuuga of the Wind Tribe. The Wind Tribe in Hoshido was known for their mastery of the wind. Corrin was certain there was a Fire Tribe in Hoshido while the Ice Tribe was exclusive to Nohr. Having a powerful man like him as a retainer would ensure that nothing terrible would happen to the great king of Hoshido.

Sumeragi was clearly the nicer suitor of the two. It was apparent to a lot of people that Mikoto seemed smitten with the Hoshido King over the Nohr King. Both had an air of charisma around them, but Orochi would joke that Sumeragi aged well unlike Garon. When Sumeragi and Mikoto were together, the two would chat about nothing in particular. Being in each other's presence was enough for them. Corrin could see this now with how the tension in the temple disappeared. Sumeragi was a nice guy…but Corrin still got this nasty feeling that behind his jolly laugh and cheerful persona hid an authoritative and scary figure.

"Ahh, your son and Gunther has returned." Sumeragi announced seeing Corrin return the temple in one piece. "Say hi to him, Ryoma!"

Of course Sumeragi wouldn't visit Mikoto without one of his children and his or her retainers. Corrin was used to it being the oldest son Ryoma along with his retainers Saizo and Kagero. Almost all the Hoshido siblings enjoyed visiting the silver haired prince…except Takumi for some strange reason.

"Ah, Corrin." Ryoma spoke politely. "How have you been?"

The silver haired prince forced himself to smile. "I picked up the clothes that were made for me for tomorrow. I need to try them on now. Excuse me…"

Normally, Corrin would stay and chat, but he wanted to go to bed early. Tomorrow was going to be a stressful day and everyone in the temple was going to be nagging him to put the outfit on and look fancy at the banquet. Plus, he wanted his mother to spend some time with Sumeragi without his presence.

Mikoto noticed that Corrin wasn't acting like himself, but allowed him to go to his room. Sumeragi seemed mostly oblivious to the prince avoiding him in particular.

Ryoma would soon dismiss himself from his father's side and follow after Corrin in his room. Normally, Corrin didn't allow guests in his room, but he made Ryoma an exception. The older man caught the young prince stripping of his attire and trying out the metallic white outfit that he was supposed to wear tomorrow.

"Big brother Ryoma, do you think you can help me put on these clothes?" Corrin asked softly once the eldest son of Sumeragi closed the sliding door.

Ryoma smiled at Corrin's request. "Of course. I know you're going to have issues getting into that outfit. I would think you would ask Flora to help you but…"

"She's serving mother…when it should be Orochi." Corrin admitted. "I feel bad for her."

"Ha ha…well. We can't do much about that. If you were a girl, she probably would be able to find an excuse to stay away from them." He groaned at the thought. "Father really needs to be act more professional. He makes us all look bad."

Now Corrin was the one who was laughing. "Oh? I think Sumeragi is great. He cheers mother up when she's depressed. He's more successful at it than King Garon."

Maybe it was best not to bring up the King of Nohr. Ryoma's grin widened at the thought of Garon failing to woo the queen of Izumo.

"Of course King Garon is going to fail. He's up against my father. My father never loses once he sets his mind to something." Ryoma declared proudly.

"Hey…my mother isn't some prize to be won…" Corrin grumbled but Ryoma happily listed the things that made Sumeragi a great man. They were all true, but the obvious bias against Nohr was so strong that many of the things listed about Garon and the Nohr siblings were far from true. If only Ryoma didn't have a black and white view of how he viewed the rival nation, then maybe it would be easier for him to understand Nohrians.

"Hmm? Did you say something Corrin?"

"No…can you stop talking and help me try this on though?"

The swordsman would continue to talk about his day even if he still wanted to brag about how great his dad was. Corrin couldn't help but be jealous of both Ryoma and Marx. While both were flawed, they still had a dad. Corrin couldn't even remember who his father was. All he knew from the rumors was how he up and abandoned his mother and him when he was born. She had been alone for eighteen years and if it weren't for Sumeragi and Garon, her heart would not have been put back together. He should be thankful for that, but the bond he had with his mother was strong because of it.

"There. That should do."

The outfit that was made for Corrin had Hoshido's clothing style in mind. The kimono was something the silver haired prince could figure out by himself. This metallic outfit best suited for a king was simple once Ryoma showed him the trick to putting it on. Ryoma smiled warmly seeing the young prince in the royal getup.

"Not bad. You're just as handsome as I am." The Hoshidan prince commented.

"Really? You think so?" Corrin asked as he looked at the mirror. He smirked realizing how well this suits him. In fact, he could see a place on his attire where he could carry a stave and a sword if he wanted to.

"Yeah, you'll make your mother proud tomorrow."

Corrin blushed thinking about the warm expression Mikoto will give seeing him be crowned king of Izumo. Tomorrow would be his coming of age and he needed to stand tall and not be nervous.

"Ryoma…"

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow…regardless of who mother picks, please don't hold a grudge. I would be very sad if our bond was severed because of her choice."

Ryoma's expression became unreadable at that point. He wanted to answer him truthfully, but he had to remain silent before he nodded his head. "Yeah, you won't need to worry about me. I'm not a sore loser and neither is my father."

Despite telling Ryoma not to hold a grudge should his mother pick Garon instead, Corrin couldn't help but feel that it was impossible for Ryoma to not be upset if Sumeragi wasn't chosen. The Hoshidans were very prideful in comparison to the Nohrians. Corrin would describe them as those who believed to be on the side of justice. Being able to interact with both Hoshido and Nohr men, Corrin could conclude that while Hoshido were giving people and would shelter anyone who was less fortunate than them, if you don't return the favor in some shape or form, they suddenly become rather nasty individuals. In comparison, Nohr came off as incredibly prideful to hide the fact their country wasn't doing so well in comparison. They had hardened their heart in order to survive during hard times. When two prideful countries clashed, it wasn't going to end well for everyone in the middle.

The prince of Izumo was just a trophy to Hoshido and Nohr…at least that's what Corrin felt whenever he interacted with both sides. As long as the topic of marriage wasn't brought up, the red eyed prince would be fine. The minute his mother was brought into the equation was when Corrin couldn't help but think that he's just a political tool for them. Whoever Mikoto chose tomorrow…the siblings of that side would flaunt to the other about how Corrin was now officially their stepsibling.

… _I wonder if there could be a third option._ Corrin thought darkly to himself. _Would mother have another option, or is she trapped like I am? Maybe…I should ask Izana for his opinion._

Duke Izana would be busy at the banquet, but he was Corrin's last hope at this point. If Izana could at least push the deadline of Mikoto's answer again when tensions weren't high between Hoshido and Nohr…maybe then would a third option be available.

* * *

The closer it got to the time of the banquet, the more restless Marx was being with trying to find the culprit with the buster sword. Eventually, he would have to give up and head to the pagoda. Cloud had never met anyone as persistent as the eldest son of Nohr. He must have really loved the royals of Izumo to go above and beyond to protect the nation. He made his dislike toward the Nohrian prince very clear when complaining to Bayonetta. It wasn't normal for Cloud to complain this much, but the witch was more concerned with preparing more clothes that would be picked up during the evening over Cloud's feelings.

"Are you even listening to me?" Cloud asked noticing that Bayonetta was walking away from him.

"Darling, I would love to chat, but I need to finish up for the evening. There are still important guests that need to pick up from me."

"…But you're not even going."

Cloud was referring to the sexy black dress that was to the side. No way was anyone wearing something as fancy as that especially at the prince's coronation.

"I have received permission to attend these events. I simply have no reason to attend."

"But…this is the event where the prince will become our new king…something life changing I might add."

Bayonetta noticed the change in tone and gave the thief her undivided attention if only for a minute.

"…When the prince gets crowned the King of Izumo, the items that will be needed will be in plain sight." He smirked as he listed them off. "The actual crown that the prince will have is said to be the crown passed down by the ancient dragons. The dragon stone that is said to awaken when one of dragon blood touches the stone will be given to the prince as well. Finally, despite the rumors of the prince not being allowed to fight, he will be given the legendary sword Yatogami to protect his kingdom."

"You did your research in such a short amount of time. I'm impressed." Bayonetta praised.

"A thief has to plan out his next heist. This is where you come in Bayonetta." The witch already knew what Cloud wanted, but allowed him to continue. "I need you to sneak me into the banquet. I have no doubt that the Prince of Nohr will be on high alert. I need a good enough disguise that he won't notice me."

"Or you just need a beautiful woman by your side."

The blond coughed at Bayonetta praising herself. Granted, she was drop dead gorgeous, so he couldn't argue with her about that. However, he didn't think her being his date was going to make things easier for him.

"Anyways, I know these items will be presented when the prince is crowned by the queen after she picks her husband. If I take even one of them, the prince will be forced to do whatever I say. After what I did for him, I do deserve something in return."

"So, you'll just going to dangle his king status in front of him until you get what you want. And I thought you were developing a heart."

"I will do whatever it takes to get me and Tifa out of this dreadful place." Cloud answered her simply. "Tifa and the others have been here long enough. It's time we go home…beyond this continent."

Bayonetta sighed at how unrealistic Cloud was being. She had no problem addressing it too. The blue eyed man was convinced that this was the night things would change for the better that she was better off getting back to work and finishing the outfit Cloud would need to sneak into the banquet.

"I'll help, but be warned that you're on your own if you get caught."

"I know."

"And remember, you are my date." She said with a cheeky smile.

Cloud let out an agitated sigh as he tried to hide the blush on his face. "I need some air…"

Bayonetta chuckled seeing Cloud get all flustered when the idea of a date was brought up again. He really needed to be honest with himself especially if he already had Tifa.

* * *

As Cloud stepped out of Witch's Tailor, people were being lined up on the side as if making way for an important person. Cloud did his best to hide behind the crowd so he wouldn't be seen. He still needed to see who was going through though…

There were soldiers that were under the Queen of Izumo ordering everyone to move out of the way. A white carriage in the shape of a Hoshido dragon was coming through holding the queen and her son. Her retainers remained outside of the carriage. Yuugiri flew overhead with her Pegasus leaving Yukimura and Orochi outside of the carriage. Gunther rode his horse beside the carriage. He glared at the crowd as he searched for anyone who could potentially harm the queen and her child. Yukimura was the one in charge of the reigns that commanded the horses. He sighed hearing Orochi order the soldiers around.

"Act professional. We are going to end up meeting the royal family members soon." The green haired tactician snarled.

"Ah! You worry too much!"

From what Cloud got from dialogue (Yukimura was very loud despite complaining that Orochi was loud and obnoxious), the royal families from both Hoshido and Nohr had already set off toward the pagoda of Izumo where Duke Izana was holding the banquet. For Cloud, this meant that he wouldn't have into Marx and his obstinate retainers until he got into pagoda itself.

As Cloud looked toward the fancy carriage and managed to see the people inside it. The thief had seen Mikoto a few times in his life, but Cloud remained impressed at how she was still able to maintain her youth after all of these years. The boy he saved not too long ago was sitting on the opposite side of her. Cloud's eyes widened seeing how different he was when wearing formal attire. The white cloak that made him look like a peasant was tossed in favor of shiny white armor that could only be made by someone as skilled as Bayonetta. There was more to it than just the metallic part. The blue cape and small ribbon tied near his collarbone matched well with said armor. Corrin's hair remained the same as when Cloud last saw him, but it was brushed so it wasn't sticking out in the front. His red eyes were still beautiful as when he first laid eyes on them…

Cloud felt ashamed thinking how attractive the young prince was. If only he caught on sooner, he might not even be in the crowd. If he wasn't so focused on his heart soaring, he would have noticed those red eyes were filled with sorrow.

Inside the carriage, Mikoto had said something to Corrin to bring the boy back to reality.

"Corrin, please be strong." Mikoto spoke softly. "Soon, you will be crowned the new King of Izumo. You will soon rule these people as your subjects."

"…I understand mother but…" Corrin was going to voice his concern, but chose not to in the end.

Mikoto could feel something was troubling her son. She too chose not to say anything as they continued the ride in silence. The queen's mind would think of her potential husband and the future.

* * *

Corrin's was starting to feel nauseous the closer the carriage got to the pagoda. The two families had arrived early to get themselves situated in order to meet Mikoto and Corrin. The prince of Izumo wanted to jump out and leave especially if it meant having to deal with eight potential siblings. He loved them all, but they were going to do all in their power to ass kiss him tonight. The retainers would be kind enough to stand to the side and piss each other off that they wouldn't bother getting involved in the family drama. There were some exceptions. Corrin could see Lazward wanting to hit on the females of Hoshido but would be rejected so quickly that he would end up crying to his other two friends who called themselves Selena and Odin. The blond dark mage was the one patting Lazward on the head while he was complaining about how the world wasn't fair. Luna joked how he needed a miracle if he wanted to get laid tonight. As if that should be his priority in Marx's presence.

The siblings of both Hoshido and Nohr would share a huge long table with Corrin sitting at the end. The silver haired prince wanted to cry at this arrangement. He didn't want to be seen as important even if he was going to become the king tonight. It would only make things worse due to how the siblings were arranged from youngest to oldest.

The younger sisters were Elise and Sakura. Corrin could confirm that Elise was three years younger than Sakura was, but she was old enough to look like a teenager. They were the easiest to get along with and unlike the other siblings on both sides, they got along when they did encounter each other. The hatred Nohr and Hoshido had been lost on their end and they could easily chat with one another without a care in the world. Corrin loved them both dearly and wished no harm was done to either of them.

The younger brothers were Leon and Takumi. Corrin had issues talking with them out of everyone in the family. Leon was cold but he meant well while Takumi was a cactus and difficult to approach in general. Takumi suffered from trust issues and was the only one who wasn't thrilled at the idea of Corrin becoming his stepbrother. He had openly declared that he would be happy if Mikoto chose Garon over Sumeragi if it meant keeping the silver haired prince away from him. Despite these harsh words, Corrin learned how to use the bow from the young archer even if he wasn't efficient in using it. Leon would often taunt Takumi's asshole character and joke how Corrin favored him over him leading to petty fights. Corrin always jumped in to stop both of them, but he felt like it was a lose-lose situation unless they came to a common ground.

The elder sisters were Camilla and Hinoka…the people that Corrin didn't bother stopping when they got into a cat fight. He learned when he was younger that it was best not to mess with the two. They were scary when angry. A tomboy clashing with a gorgeous babe was something a lot of people enjoyed watching until their weapons were pointed toward them. Regardless of this fierce rivalry they had, they were fiercely overprotective of the young prince and would put their fighting on hold if it meant protecting Corrin. The red eyed prince should be grateful that he was able to get them to work together sometimes.

The elder brothers were Marx and Ryoma. As the next in line for Nohr and Hoshido, the two carried a huge weight on their back. Despite their hatred toward each other, they were similar in a sense. Both valued honor and dignity in battle and looked after their men in combat. They had huge achievements under their belt, but when the two clashed, it was always even. Corrin knew they would never admit that they saw each other as equals due to the animosity surrounding the two countries. If Corrin could find a way to bring the two countries together, perhaps a strong bond would forge between the two.

Corrin's dream wasn't going to happen tonight. Once Mikoto made her decision, one group of siblings were going to be upset that he wouldn't be part of their family. Corrin didn't want to make anyone sad. He wanted a solution where he could have them all as family without the fear of losing them.

But even before Sumeragi and Garon showed up, the siblings were already at each other's throats. Perhaps it was the alcohol that was being spiked into their drinks (Corrin could see that outlaw who was always with Leon, Zero spiking the drinks when they were all fighting) that was making everyone rowdier than usual. Corrin felt a migraine coming on. At this rate, he would be exhausted by the time it was time to become the king of Izumo.

 _I need to find Izana…now._

Before Camilla and Hinoka could bring Corrin into their conversation, the silver haired male dismissed himself from the table. His excuse was that he needed some air and quiet as the banquet got too rowdy for his liking. He wasn't going to abandon the banquet of course. He would come back only after he found Izana.

The first thing Corrin did after leaving the feast was round the corner to his right and get to the more isolated portion of the pagoda. Izana had a habit of inviting his guest over and then leaving to prepare some other things before returning acting as goofy as ever. Often, he was with his trusted companion that tried to keep him grounded to reality. If Corrin could run into either of them, his life would be that much easier.

A shadow was looming in the darkness of the night. Corrin thought for a second that it was Izana and approached the person happily. His mood darkened realizing that it was too good to be true.

Instead of finding Izana, Corrin just had to encounter Macbeth instead. Corrin had always made a mental note to never end up alone with the Nohr tactician, but fate was not on his side. In an attempt to pass him in the hall resulted in Macbeth grabbing onto his shoulder and pulling him to the side.

"Your running form is improper for a future king." Macbeth lectured the minute he let go.

"I don't need to hear that from you." Corrin snarled. "Have you seen Duke Izana?"

"Should Duke Izana be the person you should be searching for?" Macbeth shot back causing Corrin to snarl at him as a response. "It's rude to bare your fangs against your future husband."

 _What._

Macbeth drove Corrin insane. The silver haired prince prided himself in being able to judge someone's character by simply observing them and even touching their face. Macbeth was a blackheart all the way through and it made him sick whenever he said stuff like this. Macbeth wasn't joking this time though.

"In a few hours, your mother will decide who her future husband will be." Macbeth explained as he walked toward the red eyed prince. Corrin didn't realize that he was slowly backing up against the wall. "Should your mother not choose King Garon, expect war to break out. His majesty will not take no for an answer."

Corrin gasped before shaking his head. "You liar! Both kings' said, "No hard feelings" to each other!"

"You are naïve. You think that after eighteen years of lusting over your gorgeous mother that they'll accept anything but a yes?"

The term Macbeth used…lust…it sent shivers down Corrin's spine with how he said it. Corrin would have used the term "mad love" but when the word "lust" is used…it made him feel like a small animal ready to be eaten by a large predator.

"It is best to tell your mother to marry King Garon when you find her." He continued. "There is an alternative though."

Corrin didn't need to be reminded of the alternative in the tactician's sick mind.

"The queen may marry Sumeragi and he may claim Izumo as his own territory, but the queen loses her property when she marries to either king. You will be crowned the King of Izumo and own the entire faction. You have just turned eighteen and need someone…powerful to be by your side. Someone who will guide you down the right path. Someone…" Macbeth stopped to smile sinisterly. "Like me."

"Piss off." Was Corrin's quick response. The prince wasn't one to insult others, but he honestly could not stand Macbeth for the life of him. "Who would marry you?"

"You will have to if your mother marries King Sumeragi. With our marriage, Izumo will be claimed by Nohr, and there will be no war. King Garon either gets the queen, Izumo or both."

"…Best case scenario is if mother chooses Garon, you can forget the idea of marriage."

"But you know the queen the best. Would she honestly pick King Garon over King Sumeragi if she followed her heart?"

He brought up a good point and it pissed him off. Again, he flinched when Macbeth touched his face without warning. He should have slapped his hand away, but he couldn't look away from his evil red eyes. This bastard excelled in witchcraft and other not so pleasant spells like hypnosis. He had to make sure not to keep eye contact with him to avoid a terrible fate.

"At the end of the day your highness, you will be the one to decide if peace will remain in this realm. Hoshido and Nohr are at their limits after all." Macbeth mocked as he went from rubbing the young male's cheek to lifting his chin up. "And we both know that you cannot run from my proposal."

"…You're a spineless coward…you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Macbeth mumbled as he nearly pulled Corrin close to his lips. The silver haired teen froze at the almost kiss that the older man would give him. Macbeth stopped just to whisper one thing to him before pulling away. "You are powerless, my Rapunzel. Continue to give me compliments and I'll make this process as painless as possible. You do not want to cross me."

With that, Macbeth shoved Corrin away from him and walked away. He headed back toward the banquet to speak with King Garon. Corrin's heart wouldn't stop racing and his hands wouldn't stop shaking. If Macbeth had kissed him, he would have wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Even though he didn't, he still performed the same action.

"Dammit, who does that bastard think he is?" Corrin asked out loud once Macbeth was out of hearing him. "If only I was good at fighting, I would kill you to get out of the marriage…but that would have consequences too…"

The worse part was that no one was aware of Macbeth's unwanted advances toward him except those close to Macbeth. You would think that becoming the King of Izumo would allow him the freedom he always wanted. It was the exact opposite. He would forever be a caged animal if Mikoto ever went through with the marriage and chose Sumeragi. He would suffer in silence just to make sure that his mother's happiness was maintained as well as everyone else.

"…What am I going to do?"

* * *

The minute Bayonetta and Cloud arrived at the banquet, Cloud immediately wanted to leave Bayonetta's side. She was so embarrassing to be around that the blond just wanted her out of his personal bubble. The way she had her arm around his was enough for Cloud to pass out. If she kept it up, Cloud felt like something else would rise, and the last thing he needed was to excuse himself from the banquet and go relieve himself. The raven haired witch simply reminded him that he couldn't leave without making sure that Marx wouldn't recognize him. Cloud would be safer in her "trusted" hands. The thief could care less at this point seeing as how the Nohr siblings were distracted by Corrin and the Hoshido siblings. Marx simply couldn't get up and arrest him in this public place. It would show he was incompetent from the start if he had to wait until the last minute to catch him.

Speaking of Corrin…the two noticed the prince stumbling back into the large room where the siblings were. It was only a brief moment, but they could see that the young prince was pale as a ghost. Whatever happened when he left the room must have exhausted him greatly. Cloud did wonder what happen. Did he find out who his mother wanted to marry or did something else happen concerning his coronation?

Corrin didn't give that much time to himself because the minute he opened the sliding door was the minute he was swarmed by his elder sisters. Camilla got to him first of course seeing as how he was smothered by her boobs. Hinoka was far from pleased at how quick Camilla was when it came to the Izumo prince.

"My sweet little brother, what is wrong?" The purple haired maiden asked as she hugged him tighter. "You're incredibly pale."

"Suffocating…" Corrin squeaked causing Hinoka to pull him off Camilla.

"You're going to kill him with those…things!" Hinoka hissed.

Camilla whined as a response, but it was probably best for Corrin to keep his distance. He really was pale and he couldn't hide it.

"Are you okay, Corrin?" Hinoka questioned.

"I'm…fine…getting fresh air didn't help." Corrin admitted. "Just nearly slipped and bumped my head. That's all."

"Corrin…"

"Camilla, I admit…I'm just worried. I'll be fine when it's time for my coronation."

The tall beauty wanted to continue pressuring Corrin on what was bugging him. She was stopped by Hinoka who allowed Corrin to sit back down with the rest of the family. She glared at Camilla who gave her a sweet smile before joining her little brother.

The silver haired prince had to pretend that Macbeth did not just threaten him with war or marriage if things did not go well tonight. He scanned the room for the scheming tactician, but he wasn't around at the moment…nor was Garon…

Everyone could tell that something was on Corrin's mind, but he tried to play it off as if he wasn't lost in thought.

"S-So, Sakura I heard your koko playing has gotten better." Corrin started trying to get everyone's attention off of him.

The young Hoshidan princess blushed at Corrin remembering such a small detail. "Y-Yes!"

"I would love to see you perform for me soon."

The compliment was too much for Sakura. She avoided eye contact with him trying to hide her blush. Elise puffed her cheeks in irritation at the attention the priestess was getting.

"Hey, big brother! I can play the violin for you!" Elise stated happily. "I'll play after your coronation!"

Unlike the other siblings who were antagonistic to each other, there really wasn't much they could do with Elise trying to look better in front of Corrin. She was younger than Sakura, so it made sense that she hadn't completely grown up.

"That would be wonderful Elise. You two could even play together."

There was nothing wrong with the suggestion especially if it was done in the Kingdom of Izumo. It sounded outlandish only because the idea of Hoshido and Nohr cooperating on anything seemed unlikely. Corrin was allowed to dream.

The tension that Corrin tried to lure only increased at the presence of the Nohr King returning from wherever he went. Everyone was silent seeing the old, imposing figure walk toward the royal family. The Nohr siblings stood up as if expecting their father to order them to respect his presence. Despite his intimidating appearance, he cared less about what his children were thinking and more about the prince in front of him.

Corrin gulped realizing that Garon's menacing eyes were staring down at his figure. His expression darkened only because Macbeth was behind him. Garon must have assumed that the silver haired prince put his guard up around him and chuckled.

"There is no reason for you to be nervous around me, Corrin. We're practically family now."

There was a long pause. Corrin didn't realize how his expression darkened at those words. Garon was just really bad at words. Leon could be heard sighing in the distance murmuring how his father really needed better communication skills.

"That's for mother to decide." Corrin ended up snarking back. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. His venom was directed more to Macbeth who wanted to see the prince squirm.

Garon kept his stone face expression even if he was insulted. He coughed to clear the air as he continued speaking.

"Yes, it is. Nevertheless, regardless of Mikoto's decision, I still hope you see me as someone you can turn to."

The Hoshido siblings wondered what Garon was getting at. Glancing at the Nohr siblings, they were equally clueless at what father was planning in front of the guests. Everyone was shocked when Garon took something from his robe and handed it to Corrin.

"What's this?" Corrin asked.

Garon expected him to open the small box that he handed the silver haired prince. Corrin took a quick gulp before slowly opening the box. He didn't realize that his eyes shimmered seeing the shiny item inside of the small box.

"T-This is…"

"You may not be part of the Nohr family, so you cannot have a ring. However, I expect this will satisfy you instead."

The red eyed prince would under no circumstances admit that he loved the gift the Nohrian King gave him. It was a necklace made with white gemstones. Corrin assumed they were diamonds by the quality. Despite being the poorer country, Nohr still had the rarest jewels that were difficult to find or were very expensive. The design was what was making Corrin gush over the necklace. In the center of all the smaller diamonds was a flower shaped diamond. Corrin loved flowers and combined with his favorite color being white, this was the perfect gift for him. The only reason he couldn't say it out loud was because he glanced at Macbeth and noticed the sinister smile he gave him. As a result, he remained silent while his body trembled with excitement.

"You will be a great king." Garon continued revealing a rare smile that stunned his family more than anyone else in the room. "Mikoto should be proud to have a son like you."

The prince of Izumo was flustered at this point. The Nohr siblings didn't make him feel any better.

"Father's smiling…" Leon could be heard saying out loud. "It's the end of the world."

"Silence, father will hear you." Camilla tried to shush her younger brother.

"The necklace is so pretty!" Elise exclaimed. "Don't you think so, Sakura?"

"Huh? Yeah…"

Marx was speechless at how pleasant his father was being. They were used to him being strict and crude. This night forced Garon to be on his best behavior, so even if he was faking it, he was putting on a good show for everyone. Of course, Marx knew that Garon was being honest about his vision of Corrin being the next ruler. Hopefully, those words would continue to ring true should Mikoto reject their father.

Corrin forced himself to smile. He loved the gift, but he wouldn't say it in front of the evil tactician behind the king. He had a bad feeling that Macbeth gave him the idea, so there must have been some sort of catch. To show he appreciated it, the silver haired prince put the necklace around his neck.

"Thank you. I will treasure this."

As long as there wasn't some curse, he should be fine. In the back of his mind, if he wasn't wary of Macbeth, Corrin would probably think Nohr was the better choice of the two. Nohr as a whole tried to cater to Izumo to show they weren't glory hogs like the stereotype that Hoshido forced on them.

 _If I told Garon that Macbeth blackmailed me, would he believe me?_ Corrin asked himself. The Nohr siblings would believe him, but it would be way easier if the king himself dismissed the evil man behind him.

The Hoshido siblings were rather quiet while the event took place. While Elise pulled Sakura into the conversation about Corrin's necklace as he was allowed to sit back down when Garon would leave for his own special section in the banquet hall, the other three remained quiet for the most part. Takumi was cursing at the "Nohrian scum" trying to win favors with Izumo. Ryoma was wondering where their father went after a scene like this made the king of Hoshido look bad. Hinoka continued to observe Corrin who despite putting on a strong front, he was still upset about something. When the banquet was over, she would interrogate the young prince about his issues.

* * *

After about an hour, Sumeragi finally returned to his seat. He was confused at the expression his children were giving him.

"Sorry, I must have gotten lost." He joked trying to lighten the mood. No one believed him, but they were willing to play it off…

"Where's mother?" Corrin asked not wanting to play along with the king of Hoshido.

"I do not know."

"What? Weren't you with her?"

"No. I did get lost."

Corrin rolled his eyes thinking Sumeragi was going to continue playing the fool. If that was the case, the silver haired prince would just have to dismiss himself yet again just to make sure that his mother was okay. It was almost time for her to announce who she would marry. Ryoma and Marx weren't exactly thrilled with Corrin going off yet again, but no one else would be able to approach Mikoto now except her son and her retainers. Mikoto's retainers were asked to stick around at the banquet and give the queen her privacy, so only Corrin could speak to her now.

Before heading off to see his mother, Corrin decided to check on the treasury to view the items that would be given to him before the coronation. There was no rule that he was not allowed to see what he would be given beforehand, but he didn't want to be surprised. The treasury had the audacity to be in the pagoda opposite of the one where the banquet was being held. According to the guards that Corrin spoke to, Izana wanted to be clever and hide the treasure in another building entirely seeing as how Marx had failed to capture the troublesome thief in time. Someone by the name of Christo would fetch the items before it was time for the coronation.

Trouble spewed the minute Corrin got closer to the room. It was on the highest floor of the pagoda that was notoriously smaller than the main one. The door was still open for one and no one should have been near this area. There was a special magic seal on the door that only residents of the pagoda would know. Izana and Christo would be able to open it along with Mikoto and a few others. Corrin wondered if Izana had decided to actually get the items ready.

To his horror, there was someone already in the room ready to steal said items instead. Corrin recognized the spiky blond hair and the big sword attached to his back.

"Cloud?!"

The man jumped back surprised at the voice speaking to him. Cloud had eventually bailed from Bayonetta hoping that they would go their separate ways. He wanted her to do something that would distract everyone, but she enjoyed getting acquainted with the other guests. Cloud wouldn't be surprised if she was distracting the queen's retainers though leaving Cloud with a short amount of time to get what he needed and flee. What were the odds that the prince he intended to blackmail later was going to catch him red handed in the act of stealing?

"Cloud, that's you…right? You're the only one with a sword like that…why are you here?"

So many questions…so little time. Cloud would have said something, but he no words escaped his lips. What could he say when he had Corrin's crown in his hands? He was still searching for the dragonstone, but the Yatogami was hanging up on the wall for anyone to grab.

"Answer me!"

"…You really are naïve." Cloud told him as an answer. "I thought you were faking it the other day, but for you not to see what is going on is really…"

Corrin gasped feeling someone push him into the room and close the sliding door behind him. The silver haired prince panicked and immediately raised a fist to whoever was behind him. He gasped feeling his wrist be seized right before he clocked the other person in the face.

"Now that's not how you treat a lady."

"Ehh?! Why is the seamstress here?!"

Cloud wanted to know why Bayonetta was here too. The older lady was still in her fancy outfit, but she was starting to show her true colors now as a witch. She could easily get from one place to another without anyone noticing her as long as she was hiding in the shadows…or if she used some of those powers that allowed her to simply vanish and reappear without warning.

"I know the queen isn't the sharpest tool in the shed," Bayonetta began, "but you take the cake."

"Huh?"

Cloud wondered if Corrin realized that he was a thief and Bayonetta was not a seamstress. Perhaps if he threatened the future king, maybe then would he understand what situation he was in…

"Bayonetta, I thought you were going to stay out of this." Cloud ended up saying. "It's not like you to take a hostage."

 _Hostage?!  
_

Bayonetta smiled seeing the scared look that appeared on Corrin's face. She had forced him to lower his arm before letting go. There was nothing Corrin could do in this situation. He had no fighting experience, so he could be allowed to walk around without the worry of retaliation. The terrified expression he had disappeared and then was replaced with one of anger instead.

"You mistake me for what your kind are known for doing." The raven haired witch teased as she continued to smirk at Corrin. "Darling, be a good boy and stay quiet. I know you want to cry out to your big brothers for assistance, but we have a mission and we don't need you opening your big mouth."

"Who has a big mouth?!"

Corrin seemed offended by being accused of having a big mouth then being threatened. Bayonetta wouldn't know but Corrin ate a lot. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was that he had bad eating habits.

"The prince really doesn't register the situation he's in." Cloud grumbled to himself as he turned back around to look for the dragonstone. "Just make sure you don't leave a body behind."

"Oh, Mr. Sunshine, as much as I would love to cause chaos by harming the prince, I rather not get my new dress dirty."

Corrin scowled at both of the intruders in the treasury. If he stayed in here any longer than he needed to be, the others would worry and go search for him. The last thing he needed was a confrontation between the two parties. He wanted to get through the night without any conflict, but Cloud and Bayonetta weren't going to make this easy.

"Why would I need to be a hostage? I'm not worth anything." Corrin started. "My mother is in charge of Izumo. You'll only worry her if you take me hostage…"

"Do you think we care?" Bayonetta had to ask. "Or rather, why would someone who takes hostages care about the feelings of others?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. Why would she try to word it nicely?

"I don't know why you two are here. You won't let me leave. I need to find my mother now. It's almost time for her to make her decision."

"And we obviously cannot allow that."

"…I won't sit down with my mouth shut then. I need to see my mother."

Even if he made it clear he wasn't soft hearted as he made himself out to be, he still wouldn't raise his fist against either of the intruders. The witch wanted to see what Corrin was going to do, but she was going to end up disappointed with how he was simply going to glare at them both.

"…Why are you even in the treasury if you want to harm the ruler of Izumo?"

"I need money." Cloud said simply. "I'll be taking the stuff you need as payment for saving your mother now."

Before Corrin could say anything, Cloud had finally found the dragonstone that was kept in a chest. The blond expected this expensive diamond like object, but was disappointed that it was as plain as a rock. He picked it up and held it in one hand with the crown still in the other.

"…So something shiny, something useless, and something dull. I'm not going to be able to make enough selling this damn stone. And the sword doesn't look usable either."

Corrin hissed at Cloud's condescending comments. If he was stronger, he would knock some sense into him. With those thoughts in mind, the dragonstone started to glow catching the thief by surprise. Immediately, the silver haired prince rushed toward Cloud and snatched the stone from his hands.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

It should be Corrin asking Cloud what he thought he was doing when he broke into the treasury. However, his mind was clouded with images of his mother. He needed to check up on her and now. There was a window in the treasury for some strange reason (it wouldn't be so strange in retrospect when one remembered that every room had a window in the pagoda especially the higher you went for the great view). That was where Corrin was going to make his escape, but first…

Bayonetta didn't try to stop Corrin when he zoomed toward the wall where the legendary sword was and grabbed it. He then jumped out the window…

"What the hell is wrong with the prince?!" Cloud questioned. "He'll be injured from this height!"

"I'm not so sure about that." Bayonetta said as a matter of fact statement. "Look."

Cloud looked to where the glass shattered and gasped. Corrin was flying in the air and heading toward the top of the largest pagoda.

"Since when did he have wings?!"

"I think we got a dragon on our hands." Bayonetta answered. "The dragon race isn't extinct after all. Fascinating."

It made sense in retrospect. Corrin's ears should have been a big giveaway. Cloud should not be thinking about the fact that the silver haired prince made off with two of the three treasures. He and Bayonetta needed to retreat before the guards reached them. They must have seen the glass shatter from the treasury. The last thing Cloud needed was for Marx to be on his ass again.

* * *

It was a miracle that no one saw Corrin flying to Mikoto's chambers. His dragon wings stood out, but Corrin paid no heed to them. He only cared about warning his mother about the impending danger brought about by the two intruders. There was something wrong when he reached her chamber that she was staying in. His wings disappeared almost immediately without him noticing when he landed. The silver haired prince's attention was to the shōji. He questioned why it the sliding door was uneven.

 _Mother is a very neat person. She wouldn't let the door look like this._ Corrin thought to himself. _Don't tell me…_

Corrin's breathing became unsteady as he grabbed the tip of the shōji. He gulped before sliding the door to the right.

The sinking feeling he had only amplified seeing what was on the other side. Corrin's eyes became unfocused as he felt his head start spinning.

"M-Mother?"

The room was too dark for him to see anything. However, Corrin could smell the scent of blood in the air. On the floor, blood was still pouring out of the person's body in front of him…

"Mother…please don't joke…this isn't funny…"

In the middle of the room was a katana impaled into the body of one dark haired woman. The katana went through the woman's body as she laid on her back.

"Mother…"

Corrin didn't realize he took a step into the room. He convinced himself that this was all a prank or he was having a nightmare. However, the minute he was in front of her corpse, Corrin knew she was gone. Her body was the same color as her kimono and her eyes lost all color.

"No…this can't be real…mother…wake up…mother…"

Tears leaked from the young prince's eyes as he reached out for his mother. He didn't realize that something inside of him was stirring. Despair and fury was overtaking his heart as a purple aura started to surround his body.

"Mother…MOTHER!"

The dragonstone activated at this point. While it did not transform him into a dragon, it sure as hell projected his voice to the point it would alert the other people in the pagoda.

The clock had finally started ticking as the journey to ruin would soon begin…

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 9310 words.**

 **Li: And now shit hit the fans.**

 **Me: It only takes three/four chapters before the plot kicks off for real. Notes!**

 **1\. There really isn't that much about Sumeragi's character. We get Garon's character from his support with the Nohr siblings of what he used to be (and what I base him on) but Sumeragi is still a huge shadow. I interpret him as a good leader who enjoys a good fight. He's also a very caring and committed father seeing as all the Hoshido siblings are related. He also believes in peace and Mikoto probably rubs off on him. So here, I can imagine that despite being a good father, he probably is the embarrassing parent to the siblings (at least toward Ryoma who takes after him the most).**

 **2\. The carriage leans toward Birthright only because Mikoto is the queen of Hoshido in canon. The white dragon implies it's a Ryu while if I said black dragon, it would have been closer to a wyvern. If there was one for Valla, it would probably look like Nidhogg, but that dragon is so ugly that it would be best to choose the dragon that looked the most appealing for a queen. To be fair, I already have Corrin set to White Blood, so the white carriage matches his appearance.**

 **3\. Corrin's attitude toward Macbeth is a combination of his characterization in Birthright and Conquest. In Birthright, Corrin takes out his anger out on everyone in Nohr, so he's able to proclaim his hatred toward Macbeth for the shit he's done. In Conquest, Corrin tries to see the best in everyone and vows not to kill if he doesn't want to. Should Corrin engage in combat with Macbeth in Conquest, the normally kind hearted Corrin goes into a rage at something Macbeth says that confirms to Corrin that Macbeth is a blackheart who cannot be trusted and should be killed.**

 **4\. I thought long and hard what gem Garon would give to Corrin. Garon is not evil like he is in the main games (as this is before the killings in the court started, so he was still a decent man). I wanted the necklace to backfire later in the story to reflect the exploding sword of the actual game when Garon did try to kill him. I decided on a diamond necklace with a flower design for many reasons. Nohr may not be a rich country but it sometimes comes off as shallow so a diamond would be something that a Nohr noble would use to try and appeal to someone they like. Diamond is the closest color to white which I tend to associate with male Corrin (the White Blood seems designed for him and it looks awkward with female Corrin). White represents purity and its alluding to how pure Corrin is. Flowers are an item I noticed Corrin likes, so it adds to the pure thing above. Overall, you can expect Macbeth to use that necklace like the exploding sword later even if it benefits Corrin now.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	4. Nightmare Night

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy! And yes, I am posting this during Comedy Month when this is far from being a humorous story.**

Chapter 4: Nightmare Night

* * *

Corrin's scream alerted everyone in the banquet hall. The siblings feared the worse happened to the prince of Izumo and dropped everything they were doing. They didn't have a clue where Corrin's voice was coming from. Luckily for them, Duke Izana finally decided to show his face. He had been missing the whole night and just showed up at his own place carrying a small box of different types of alcoholic beverages. Despite his regal appearance with his divine clothing, the duke was incredibly laidback. The only reason he was gone was to go fetch the finest wine to drink for the banquet. His friend Christo also had similar clothing to him but he looked more like a demon wearing all black contrast to the white color his friend had. His hair was an odd shade of turquoise that stood out next to the duke. He was trying to tell Izana to act professional tonight, but his words were drowned out by the siblings who swarmed his friend.

Soon, Izana would drop the ditzy act realizing that something has gone horribly wrong at the happy banquet. When told that Corrin let out a horrified scream, Izana had asked Christo where it came from and his friend was able to deduct that Corrin was in the chamber Mikoto was staying in. The siblings wasted no time rushing to the area despite Sumeragi and Garon telling their youngest daughters to stay put.

Ryoma proved himself to be the fastest of the group and had gotten ahead of everyone else. His mind was starting to blank out thinking the worse has come to his soon to be younger brother. The cries of the silver haired prince didn't stop, but he wasn't screaming anymore.

"CORRIN!" Ryoma called out as he forced himself into the room. His eyes widened at what he saw before him. "C-Corrin…"

The other siblings would catch up to the prince of Hoshido and would be horrified at the sight before them. Ryoma had attempted to shield Sakura's eyes from the sight as Marx would try to do to Elise, but it was already too late and they screamed.

"By the Gods…what happened…" Leon muttered. His face was incredibly pale. He tried his best to remain indifferent but failed miserably.

How could any keep a stoic expression at the scene before them? The queen of Izumo was bleeding in an excessive amount. The katana that was used to murder the queen was yanked out and thrown to the side of the room. Corrin had entered the room and found one of his mother's healing staffs and attempted to heal her immediately. The problem was that if it wasn't a resurrection staff, there was no hope in saving her. Her soul has already departed to the aftermath, but Corrin did not register that his mother was gone.

"Corrin!" Camilla cried out causing Corrin to glance at his siblings up slowly. Tears stained his face as the blood from his mother's body was getting on his clothes.

 _This is bad._ Marx thought to himself seeing Corrin in this state. He tampered with the crime scene!

"Camilla…mother won't wake up…" Corrin spoke. His voice was cracking. If he kept talking, he would surely lose it. "Elise! Sakura! Please tell me you have your staves with you! Please help me heal her!"

Sakura covered her face as a response seeing the silver haired prince returning his pointless struggle in saving his mother. Takumi was the one that pulled Sakura away. Camilla was the one that suggested that Elise not look at the scene before them. Even if Corrin called out their names again in a pleading tone, it was a terrible idea to assist him.

"Prince Takumi is it?" Camilla began. "May I ask you take my sister and yours out of the room?"

At first Takumi was going to deny her, but he heard footsteps behind them. More people were going to show up and she wanted them to be spared of seeing Corrin in despair. The archer growled as he complied. Sakura had no problem complying with Takumi but Elise resisted at first. She glanced at Corrin one last time before she turned her back to him and followed the young Hoshidan prince.

Once those three were out, Garon, Sumeragi, Macbeth and Izana stormed in. The siblings attempted to observe who reacted badly to Mikoto's death. Garon remained stoned face but Sumeragi's mood dropped considerably. Before Izana could shout for order in the room, Macbeth reacted poorly to the scene and made everything worse.

"Eeek! Queen Mikoto!" He screamed. "Who did this?! Was it you Rapunzel?!"

He dropped the honorifics and went straight for the insulting nickname. The only reason he could get away with it this time because he looked reasonably upset at the scene before him. It wasn't too farfetched to accuse Corrin of killing her especially since Mikoto's blood was on him when removing the katana and attempting to save her.

"What did you say?!"

It was the wrong thing to say unfortunately. The dragonstone was tapping into Corrin's rage, but even with the anger and despair in his heart, nothing was coming of it besides a furious side that no one has seen before.

"How dare you accuse me of killing mother?! It was one of you two kings that did it!"

Throwing accusations at both Sumeragi and Garon was suicide. He was still a prince and could face deadly consequences. The situation was going downhill fast. Hinoka and Camilla attempted to step in and calm the silver haired prince down.

"Corrin, please calm down." Camilla started. "Throwing baseless accusations won't solve the issue."

"We need you to be calm." Hinoka added. "We will take care of this."

"Calm?! How can I remain calm?! Mother's dead and the murderer is in this room!" Corrin hissed. "Both of the kings have a motive for killing her if she didn't choose them to be her husband! Nohr needs Izumo for land expansion and they can only survive if mother married you Garon! And Hoshido is too prideful that they are willing to steal the ray of hope away to expand their territory of peace!"

"Corrin enough…" Leon mumbled. He had never seen Corrin act like this. If he kept this up…

"Sumeragi, where were you?! Why is the katana you gave to my mother for a present the murder weapon?! Why were you accounted for an hour? What did you do?! Answer me!"

Corrin blamed both kings but he already thought in the back of his mind that it was Sumeragi that ended his mother's life. Even if Nohr had the motivation, the evidence was stacked against Hoshido. Add to the fact Sumeragi refused to speak only confirmed Corrin's accusations.

"Alright, enough." Izana spoke in a cool, collective voice unlike his usual character. "Step away from the body, your highness. You are not wanted here." He turned to all the royals in the room. "That goes for all of you. Starting now, this is a crime scene. The authorities of Izumo will be called and we will take it from here. I ask you all to leave."

Corrin's eyes widened in horror at Izana's "betrayal".

"But…I have to stay…mother is…"

"Corrin, if you insist on staying, I will not hesitate to arrest you. You may be my friend's son, but I will not let the killer slip away."

The red eyed prince shook his head in disbelief. "Traitor…"

"Say what you want, but I'm already upset. Just looking at the scene before me, I see you tampered with the crime scene. Even if it's unintentional, you have already made things difficult. I advise you to go home and rest. Everyone else should also pack their things and return home."

There was nothing Corrin could do was sob. He wasn't going to let go of his mother. The eldest brothers were given permission to walk over to the prince and get him off his feet.

"Please…don't…"

"We need to leave." Ryoma told him as he grabbed at Corrin's right shoulder. Marx did the same with Corrin's left one. Corrin let out a terrified cry as he was lifted off the ground. Mikoto's body shifted slightly as he was slowly being dragged off. He pleaded for the elder siblings to let him stay with his mother but they ignored him.

"Lower your head." Marx ended up telling him. He would have added how disgraceful Corrin was acting, but he understood the pain the prince of Izumo was going through.

"Don't worry, justice will be done." Izana declared. "When I find out who did this to Mikoto…I will extract revenge on him."

It was a miracle that Garon or Sumeragi did not raise their voice against Corrin who threw accusations at them. Izana said all the royals needed to leave, but he did expect the kings to stay so he could talk to them about what to do now.

The royal siblings all decided on taking Corrin home before returning to attempt to calm everyone down. The word was going to spread very soon and they needed to keep the panic to a bare minimum. Leon's servant Zero already knew what Leon wanted and had already had Gunther waiting outside the banquet. Questions were raised on why Corrin was leaving so soon and with a sorrowful expression on his face to boot. They would find out shortly. Gunther decided to take the boy back on horse so there would be no need to use the carriage.

As the royal siblings saw Corrin off, Cloud and Bayonetta had made sure to blend into the crowd before making their escape. With the raven haired witch around, it was surprisingly easy. The blond didn't like how things went from bad to worse in a manner of a few minutes. He just wanted some rare items to steal and now there is a murder of an important political figure. They needed to escape now before someone caught them.

Alas, Cloud felt a pain in his chest when he caught a glimpse of the silver haired prince. The poor kid looked ready to collapse. How was he going to get over an incident like this?

* * *

After escorting Corrin back to the temple, Gunther had made multiple suggestions to him from removing his clothes and washing the blood off him to getting some sleep. He only did the former to keep his mind off of the murder, but once he finished rinsing his body, he put some nightwear on and plopped onto the bed. He wanted to sleep, but wasn't going to.

There was no way Corrin was going to get any sleep despite the suggestion. How could he? The corpse of his mother was still fresh in his mind. How could he close his eyes and sleep when the first image to appear in his mind is the lifeless look she had?

The thieves also made off with his crown. Suppose everything died down (even though Corrin doubted that no one in Izumo would let this incident pass), Corrin wouldn't be able to be crowned the King of Izumo without it. His mother was top priority so Corrin forgot to grab the crown from Cloud. He only had the sword and the stone, but he was still inexperienced with the sword. The prince didn't know what the dragonstone was used for anyway.

Being king was the last thing on Corrin's mind. He already missed his mother and it hasn't been that long since her death. Oh how he wished someone could tell him he was having a terrible nightmare, but as the clock ticked and sun started to rise, the more Corrin realized he wasn't dreaming. The reality was that Mikoto was dead and wasn't coming back. No more going to her room to wake her up and vice versa. There would no longer be mealtimes with her. The days of talking about the future was over. She was gone and Corrin had to live with that.

But by realizing that she was dead, Corrin would be left a crying mess. It was pathetic for an eighteen year old to shed tears when he was considered an adult. He shouldn't cry, but he couldn't help it. Corrin had always been a sensitive person brought to tears rather easily. He rarely cried in front of people fearing they would judge him, but no one would judge him this time. The world was crying for the death of his mother. Mikoto brought peace and neutrality to their countries. Without her, it was only a matter of time that the foundation she had built would be shattered, and her son wouldn't be able to take the reign unless he had the crown that would signify that he was Izumo's new ruler.

There was a soft knock at the door with some sniffling. He was certain it was Orochi. He ignored her and continued to sob into his pillow. The young retainer would leave him alone as he let the pillow get soaked by his tears. He would continue mourning for his mother for the rest of the day…

 _Mother, what am I going to do now? I'm nothing without you…_

* * *

While Izumo mourned for the loss of their queen as news spread quickly, those not attached to Izumo could pretend like nothing happened. This mainly applied to Bayonetta who could care less about the suffering of Izumo. Cloud of course had to pretend that he was equally upset to not draw suspicion. The only reason Bayonetta could get away with it was because she had told others that she puts her profession over news and it was indeed a shame their loving queen was gone with the killer still on the loose. On top of that, the news that someone broke into the vault and stole the crown that could allow Corrin to be king was gone. Cloud had to hide that crown, but now he knew it was impossible to sell it now. The crown was needed for Izumo to move on, but without it, they were a country with no legs to stand on. Cloud didn't care. If he could escape with Tifa to their world, they could put this nightmare behind them. Instead, the crown that would be used as a bargaining chip was just a hunk of junk and he was back to square one unless he could pawn it off without getting caught.

Speaking of Tifa…

"Cloud, did you hear a thing I said? Earth to Cloud!"

Cloud would have to deal with lying to Tifa yet again where he went last night. He didn't realize he was going to have hell returning with the nice outfit that Bayonetta loaned to him. With the amount he made, there was no way he could afford it. Explaining where he was and how he got the suit meant explaining to Tifa that he was with Bayonetta. Tifa was a kind hearted girl, but she didn't get along with the witch and for good reason. Bayonetta hasn't been a good customer to her when she came to the bar and Tifa had returned it in kind. The raven haired witch was aware Tifa liked Cloud but continued to cling to him. If only Cloud just made it clear that he liked his childhood friend then it wouldn't have been so difficult to explain his situation.

"It was just a business trip for her." Cloud told her. "We left when the commotion started."

"So…nothing happened?"

"No. I don't trust her."

"But you're always working with her…"

"I do what I can to earn a living, but it doesn't mean I trust her with my life."

Tifa sighed at this explanation he gave her last night and didn't bother talking for the rest of the evening. Now, it was morning and Cloud was trying to get his body moving. He wouldn't have a job at all given everyone was too busy grieving for their queen. Tifa's voice was just grating after a long night.

"Cloud, don't make me push you out of bed."

"I heard you the first time."

Not convinced her childhood friend was going to get up, Tifa stayed by his bed side until he decided to sit up.

"I hope so. It's going to be a very busy day for me, so I need you to help me out in the back."

People were going to be drinking at the 7th Heaven to forget about Mikoto's death. People were already in a slump, but the queen's death would get them a legitimate excuse to go out and drown their sorrows. As a waitress and bartender, Tifa had her hands full. Granted there were others helping out but they were all behind closed doors due to obvious reasons. Like Cloud, they stood out for weapons that couldn't be obtained in Hoshido, Nohr or Izumo, so they needed to be hidden from plain view more times than not. Wasn't going to stop them from coming out every now and then and help Tifa if she was being overwhelmed.

"So you're going to use the queen's death to grab people's money?" Cloud asked her earning himself a nasty glare from her.

"Cloud, these people are mourning for their queen. They're going to need someone to talk to. I will be there to support them."

"But you're going to take their money."

"Cloud, do you want us to end up on the streets?"

The blond flinched at the retort and chose to drop the topic. Tifa stood up from Cloud's bed and began to move around. Cloud grumbled at how early she was going to open up the bar. The blond let out a frustrated groan as he soon got off the bed. He didn't have much time to change into some nightwear so he had opted to just remove the fancy stuff and sleep mostly naked. Tifa already looked away before she caught a glimpse of his figure.

"You should know where your clothes are. I washed them."

Cloud acknowledged her words and started changing into something comfortable. Tifa fumbled with some of the items in their room waiting for Cloud to get dressed. Since he didn't give her a signal, the room remained in an awkward silence.

"…It's going to be really scary outside." Tifa admitted. "With the queen dead, everyone is looking for someone to blame."

"I bet." Cloud muttered. "Which is why I don't think alcohol and anger are a good combination today."

"No one is safe regardless if they have alcohol in their system." Tifa reminded him. "Despite the announcement, everyone knows the killer has yet to be found. Too many conspiracy theories are popping up." The raven haired shivered at the thought. "Some people that were in the bar before the news came out last night said that the prince would be accused of murdering the queen."

Now this was new information. Cloud not only didn't know there were some stragglers in the bar after hours, but they brought up a good point.

"Why the prince?" Cloud asked. "It could have been anyone and he has no reason to kill his mother."

"I don't know where they were getting this information from, so I assume its baseless rumors." Tifa began. "They said that the prince had items that he shouldn't have had when he saw his mother. Everyone knows the prince was aware of his mother's death, but what many aren't aware of was his location before finding her body first."

"Which is…"

Cloud shouldn't have had asked that one.

"The vault. He was in possession of the treasures before he was bestowed them. The crown is missing too unfortunately. I know a thief broke in during the chaos and made off with an important family treasure. However, I do find it odd how the prince has the sword and the stone beforehand."

Those weren't baseless rumors. Someone must have followed him and Bayonetta and then headed back to the bar to pass the information to Tifa. That sounded crazy, but how else would someone know that detail of Corrin taking the dragonstone and spreading wings? If he kept prying on this topic, Cloud felt like Tifa would put two and two together on whom the thief was and what he did at the party.

"Also, the investigation isn't going to be handled well." Tifa brought up. "Given the situation, the Nohr family might take finding the killer their duty even though the Hoshido family will discover the killer first."

Nohr had the motivation to kill just from the circumstances of their country. A weapon from Hoshido's was found in the queen's chest though. Accusing Corrin wasn't so farfetched seeing as how no one would expect him. Cloud didn't know much about the silver haired prince, but he assumed that whoever killed Mikoto was aware that at worse, Hoshido and Nohr would go to war and at best, the tragedy was averted if the killer was found even if a scapegoat might be used to calm the people down.

Even then, that wouldn't solve the crown issue. Marx would be in a dilemma with letting the oldest prince of Hoshido one upping him and wanting to continue his original task of finding the bloody thief. Cloud wanted him to search for the killer so he could be given time to make things right.

 _This crown is worthless anyway._ Cloud thought darkly to himself as he was glad that Tifa had yet to look under the bed for the very crown needed for Corrin to become king. _I'll return it as soon as I can. I need to make sure that kid stays out of trouble. I can still get money out of this if I can make a deal with him…I just hope Tifa doesn't realize what I'm going to do._

* * *

After a while, Corrin was glad that his visitors stopped dropping by to see him. They apologized for his loss and sent him gifts that were left in the main portion of the temple. Corrin didn't care about those gifts. The only thing he would want is his mother to return and to wake up from this nightmare. He didn't want to make the Hoshido and Nohr siblings feel bad, but he just wanted to be left alone for the rest of the day despite it not being healthy. Flora kept a stern face and reminded him that the meal would be in the kitchen if he decided to leave his room and eat. She expected him to later. She took her leave, but not before reminding him that Gunther was on patrol and would return shortly. Corrin simply waved her off as he continued to stare at the ceiling in his room. Maybe if he started counting sheep to himself, he would fall asleep again and the day would come.

He would have one more visitor and the one he didn't want to see at all. Anyone in the royal family could see him, but this extended to retainers and those who worked under the king. It meant Macbeth could come in uninvited despite Corrin's hatred toward him.

"Leave." Corrin told him harshly. "I'm not seeing anyone. If you want to see any of my mother's retainers, they're out for the day. You should know that as King Garon's tactician."

"My Rapunzel, I only came to comfort you in a time of need. The world cannot bear to see tears ruin your beautiful face."

"If Gunther was here, I would send you away for that insult." The prince hissed. "Why would I even want you in here when you're one of the many people who could have killed mother?"

"As nice as it would have been to be the one to slay the wicked queen for wounding my king for all of these years for her dishonesty, you know better than anyone I am free of sin."

Oh, how did Corrin want to punch Macbeth in face for remaining smug and laughing at his pitiful situation…

"You monster! You think I'll believe you when you say you're guiltless?!"

"I am. I have an alibi on the night of the murder." Macbeth said gleefully. "King Sumeragi and King Garon…while they're both suspicious, they also have an alibi. You don't."

Corrin's expression darkened. Did Macbeth just insinuate that he murdered his own mother?

"…How dare you make those baseless accusations against me?! I should put you to death for that!"

Macbeth laughed at Corrin's threat. The arrogance surrounding him was terrifying and Corrin's threats in the past weren't working now.

"You can try, but you're not the king even with the queen's death." Macbeth told him simply. "Where's the crown that will officially grant you the title of King of Izumo, hmm? You have the Yatogami and the dragonstone in your possession, but the crown has gone missing. You are nothing without that crown. The tradition of Izumo will not go up in flames because you misplaced it."

Corrin's eyes widened in horror now recalling that Cloud had the crown in his possession…and if the prince wasn't focused on getting to his mother, he would have made sure to secure the crown along with everything else he took. The two items he had were weapons unlike the crown. Macbeth may not have been involved in last night's incident, but he was crafting a wonderful narrative to suit his agenda before his eyes.

"Why were you the in the treasury? You had no reason to go there unless you had every intention of murdering your mother."

"I wouldn't!"

"Why were you there then?"

Corrin wouldn't throw Cloud and Bayonetta under the bus even if he was put in this bad situation to begin with. He cursed to himself as he was slowly backing up against his bed. Macbeth continued to approach him and corner him like a rat.

"Your highness, it is not good to keep secrets especially one that can destroy the foundation of Izumo. You need a good lie in order to get out of it in one piece."

"I…"

"Even if King Sumeragi has an alibi, he was still the last one to see her, correct?"

Corrin didn't like where this was going.

"You just need to throw that man under the bus. I will be more than happy to help you, but I need one thing from you."

The silver haired prince let out a pathetic cry when he found his body pushed on the bed with the Nohr tactician on top of him. In any other situation, Corrin would be able to push him off with his superhuman strength. Corrin didn't have that helping him this time around. He was physically and emotionally drained from his mother's death to fight back, and Macbeth knew this and was taking advantage of him. Corrin shot him the best glare he could muster even when Macbeth was running his pale fingers through his well-kept hair.

"It would be a shame if your life ended because the real culprit got away." Macbeth continued as he lowered himself onto the younger prince. The glare had no effect and was quickly losing its effects. Corrin's eyes widened in horror feeling something rub up in between his leg. He shuffled underneath the older man, but he couldn't pry him off. "I could change that. With my brilliant mind and your charisma, we can rule Izumo together and track down your mother's killer."

"No…" Corrin muttered weakly. "You don't care about mother…you just want to enact that marriage."

"Shouldn't your mother be your number one concern over our love for one another?"

Corrin felt his heart sank with Macbeth throwing those words around. He'll always hate the bastard for his cowardly ways. He'll resist until the end even if the situation was getting from bad to worse. No way in hell would he let Macbeth win!

"I'm giving you two options. Marry me and I'll incriminate Sumeragi for his crimes or be accused as being the culprit and bring ruin to the country your mom worked so hard to rule. It's your choice."

There wasn't a choice at all! He either married this sicko or die knowing he failed his mother. Where was the third solution he desperately needed? Macbeth enjoyed the pain expression the prince was wearing. This situation couldn't have had come at a better time.

"You know…" Macbeth began as he leaned close to Corrin's ear and began whispering. "We could even skip the marriage if you submit to me right now. This delicious body of yours will be put to good use."

A small gasp came out as a response. If Corrin wasn't scared before, he was petrified now. He still didn't have a choice in the matter. Macbeth chuckled as he ran his other hand down to pat the armor that was covering Corrin's crotch.

"G-Get your hands off me!"

"So you'll disappoint your mother in the end?"

"This has nothing to do with her!"

"It has everything to do with her. You are driving my patience. If you cannot choose then I'll make it for you."

Corrin didn't know what to do at this point. He searched the room for anything he could use to smack Macbeth with. He was too far from everything and his voice failed him.

"Coward…you won't get away with this."

The prince squirmed under his grip. His legs were being spread apart making it more difficult for Corrin to get the older man off of him. He refused to look Macbeth in the eye as he taunted him that he already won.

"Correction. I already have."

And this is where Corrin's luck came into play. The prince was told that he was born under a lucky star. Before worse came to shove, a miracle occurred and helped him out. The same thing would happen again when someone barged into the room with a spear in hand.

"Lord Corrin!"

"G-Gunther! Help!"

Macbeth wouldn't expect anyone to still be in this place especially Gunther who had to attend to things that Corrin could not do. His expression was beyond angry seeing the prince being pinned down by the Nohr tactician. Macbeth was the one caught red-handed and he shrieked realizing how fucked he was.

"Eeek! T-This is a misunderstanding! We were just-"

"How despicable of you to take advantage of the queen's death and her son's state of mind. You will come with me and be tried to the highest treason! Failure to comply and I will kill you right now!"

"EEEK!"

Macbeth was pathetic screaming like a little girl. Corrin used this chance to push the older man off of him, but it wouldn't do much. He couldn't take the opportunity to rest because there was a shadowy figure looming behind his mentor.

"GUNTHER! LOOK OUT!"

His warning came too late. Gunther felt something sharp impale his back. The weapon went right through his chest revealing it to be an axe. Corrin's eyes widened in horror seeing the blood gush out from his mentor's body.

"N-NO!"

Macbeth let out a sigh of relief to see that Gantz was backing him up. He was almost worried that he was going to get caught.

"You should have watched your back old man. Now you're just another victim on the chopping block."

Corrin wanted to throw up seeing his mentor's body fall to the ground of his bed with a loud thump. He didn't even get to say anything else to the young prince before the Grim Reaper claimed him. Macbeth hummed at the terrified expression the prince had on now. It was completely different from his defiant expression before.

"You know you shouldn't be leaving dead bodies in the prince's room. They'll suspect us."

"Just say that Hoshido did it." Gantz said simply. "Since the first plan didn't work, we'll go with your plan B. We'll take the prince back to Nohr and say Hoshido murdered the queen and this old fool."

"N-No…" Corrin muttered deeply. "You can't…do this…"

"Prince Corrin, you will be coming with us." Gantz continued. "I'll kill that pretty maid that is always with you if you refuse. She'll be another victim to Hoshido after all."

"S-Stop it…you can't…I…"

Corrin didn't realize he choked out a sob as he took a step back. He wanted to escape, but he couldn't. Looking out the window, he gasped seeing some soldiers from Nohr surrounding the place. They had every intention of escalating the situation into a full scale war if Corrin didn't go in willingly. With no weapon to fight with and no retainers to protect him, the prince couldn't possibly fight them.

"We could have done this the easy way, but you made it difficult for me." Macbeth told him as he walked over and seized the prince's arm causing him to scream. "We're doing this the hard way. Now come along quietly."

Macbeth had every intention of tying the prince up once they left the area. Corrin would resist all the way even in his frightened state. The prince could bide his time and wait for his mother's retainers to return or even Prince Marx. Macbeth would not take any chances. He would have his prince when they were alone.

"You better keep your voice down. One peep from you and Gantz will murder that maid. He's one of the strongest generals of Nohr for a reason."

Corrin could only nod his head slightly as tears started to fall down his eyes. Why was he so helpless? Why couldn't he protect himself and avenge Gunther? Why wasn't anyone going to save him?

"Someone…please help me…" Corrin whispered to the point no one could hear him. "Please…someone…"

Unknown to Macbeth and the Nohr soldiers standing outside, Cloud and Bayonetta had managed to sneak inside the temple. All Cloud wanted to do was set things straight and return the crown that belonged to the prince. The last thing he wanted was for Corrin to be accused of a crime he didn't commit due to circumstantial evidence. Bayonetta didn't know what to think of the blond wanting to make amends. He was still going to make Tifa sad in the end for not having any money and being near the scene of the crime.

The Nohr soldiers caught them off guard though. They all had their weapons drawn as if they had cornered the culprit. Cloud at first thought that Marx finally outsmarted him when these were soldiers under Gantz' command who were ordered to not let the prince escape.

The two had sat back in the darkness and watched the great knight be taken out in one hit. They could hear Corrin scream before being told to shut his mouth. There was no one else in the temple because they were trying to figure out what to do now that the queen was dead. Cloud growled at how much of an opportunist this tactician was being.

"Disgusting…" Cloud muttered as he slowly crept out of his hiding spot. "If he thinks he can have his way then he has another thing coming."

"You aren't honestly thinking of saving the poor prince, are you?"

"What choice do I have? Unless you want a war to break out by framing the people of Hoshido, I will help him now."

Cloud was a kind-hearted man despite his rough exterior. He wasn't thinking of the consequences of his actions.

"You realize if you attack now, you will be a criminal to all of Nohr." Bayonetta warned him. "He may be a scumbag but he is still the great tactician of Nohr under King Garon. You attack him and you will be an enemy to him and everyone he deceives with his wit."

"…I don't care." Cloud answered. "He pisses me off like the rest of the nobles here."

Cloud unsheathed his buster sword from his bandage and waited for Gantz to have his back turned before he rushed in. Gantz was too busy having a victory cheer to himself seeing the silver haired prince in tears that he failed to notice that he too would be impaled the same way as Gunther. The only difference was this was not a fatal blow due to Cloud missing his vital organs intentionally. The sword still went through the center of his chest. Gantz wheezed as he coughed up blood on Cloud's sword. Macbeth let out another shriek seeing another unexpected visitor.

"Aieeee! Another one?! Who are you? How did you get past the soldiers?!"

Cloud saw no need to answer scumbag like Macbeth. Gantz' body was used to hide his face. Corrin was still able to catch a glimpse of who his next savior was. The prince fortunately did not whisper his name.

"I'll be taking the prince now."

"H-Huh? What?"

"Back off. Do you want me to kill you next?" Cloud asked as he pulled the buster sword out of Gantz' chest. He watched as Gantz fell to the floor with a large thump but unlike Gunther who died instantly, Gantz was roaring out in pain that was alerting the soldiers outside. Cloud was able to hide his face in the darkness to prevent Macbeth from getting a good look on who he was. "Move."

Macbeth had a plan, but it required letting Corrin go. Reluctantly, he let go of Corrin's arms causing the prince to rush away from Macbeth's side to the killer in front of him instead. Corrin was so desperate to be with anyone but Macbeth that he chose this crazy man.

"W-Who are you?! Are you from Hoshido? N-Nohr doesn't take these surprise attacks well at all!"

Corrin let out a gasp as Cloud immediately grabbed Corrin's shoulder and pulled him close while holding the buster sword in his other hand. Again, the prince felt his heart skip a beat realizing who his savior was by his scent.

"It can't be…you…"

"We'll talk later." Cloud muttered. "We leave."

"Wait!" Macbeth cried out seeing Cloud turn his back on the enemy. Before he could do anything, a powerful spell paralyzed him in place. He felt like he was losing air all around him. He let a pathetic sound escape his lips as he collapsed to his knees trying his very hardest to breath. This attack also hit the Nohr soldiers from outside, but it didn't affect Cloud or Corrin.

"You're taking your sweet time, prince charming." The witch could be heard teasing in the darkness as she opened up a small portal below the floor of the temple. "We leave through here."

"I need to get to that place though."

"Be happy that you will be warped near it. I do not need to be seen with you after what you done."

Bayonetta would not stop mocking Cloud for deciding to play hero to the prince yet again. The blond decided he needed to ignore her now and stepped through the portal with the prince still in arms. Bayonetta waited for them to leave first before she closed the portal. She decided to leave through unorthodox means and transformed into a crow that simply flew out of the temple and blended in with the darkness.

* * *

Macbeth was a wonderful liar. He could turn a situation not favoring him into one that does. Because so much noise was heard at the temple, it would not take long for Ryoma and Marx with their retainers to arrive together. They cast their differences aside to see what had gone on and were horrified at the scene before them. Bayonetta did indeed get bored in the short time it took for help to arrive so she had started shooting crow feathers that acted as daggers toward the Nohr soldiers that were ordered to guard the temple. Many of them were killed due to Bayonetta piercing a vital organ, but the rest of them were crying out in pain and screaming how there was a witch nearby. The princes and their retainers rushed inside the temple unaware that Bayonetta had lifted her spell. There, they came across Macbeth in a state of panic. Gunther was dead and Gantz was near death had it not been for Macbeth not caring a healing staff with him. Lazward was probably the only person that flinched at the corpse before him.

"Macbeth," Marx called out trying to keep his voice as calm as possible, "what has happened here?"

Macbeth was ready to cry wolf at this point. He would have groveled at the Nohr prince's feet had it not been for the Hoshido prince being near him. He groaned at how this wasn't a perfect scenario, but he would have to make do with the enemy being nearby.

"It was awful Prince Marx! That terrible mercenary scum that went by the name of Cloud Strife slaughtered as many soldiers as he could! He cut down Gunther and Gantz and then kidnapped the prince! I tried to help but there was this powerful magic holding me down! I was powerless to stop him from kidnapping the prince!"

Ryoma and Marx gasped at this news. Their big brother instincts were taking over instead of listening to his words and realizing that there was something wrong this statement. Marx was already furious with himself for not catching Cloud sooner. He was marked as a thief to make it seem like he was a lowly criminal but he was a mercenary that did any job handed to him, but killed his clients when they wouldn't pay him. Now, he was going for bigger things. By leaving him alone, Cloud felt confident to storm the palace now that the queen was dead and all the retainers gone to kidnap the prince. Gunther was slain by that man and Gantz was barely breathing had it not been for Macbeth healing him.

"…Pieri is ready to kill this Cloud person." Pieri hissed. She wasn't looking to happy but not for the reason Marx was angry.

"…So you didn't catch the thief after all." Ryoma couldn't help but mock. "I should have expected much."

"Damn you-"

"We don't have the time to be fighting over our differences. We need to join together and find Corrin before that psychopath kills him."

For once, Marx was in agreement with him. He could ignore being mocked for now. Corrin's life was on the line.

"What shall we do Lord Ryoma?" Saizo questioned as he was ready to accept orders from the prince of Hoshido.

"…Gather the troops. We need all the manpower we need to find this man and Corrin." Ryoma ordered. "Kagero, make sure you block off all entrances from Izumo to Hoshido. Secure all paths and find anyone suspicious.

"Understood." They both spoke as they vanished into the darkness.

"Lazward, I need you to stay behind and attend to the wounded with Macbeth." Marx ordered causing Lazward to grumble mentality at being left with the ugly tactician. "Pieri, please assist in moving the bodies. Do not make the situation worse and do not act until I give orders."

"Right!"

"But Pieri wants to know why we don't get to stop those at the Nohr border…"

"I am going to arrange a meeting with my father about this kidnapping." Marx explained. "The queen's assassination and the prince's kidnapping are linked together. We need a plan fast before this Cloud strike again."

"And I will accompany you." Ryoma told him. "I too will tell my father of the happenings. We cannot let this man get away."

The group wasted no time in doing their roles. Lazward suggested that Pieri help him lift Gantz from his location and get him to one of the guest rooms. They ordered Macbeth to assist and while he continued to heal Gantz from behind him, he couldn't help but smirk at how quickly they believed his story. The question was if he could trick all eight of the siblings and King Garon. After all, only after using some of his magic to identify the attack, he recognized it was indeed the same mercenary that Marx failed to arrest. This would be used to his advantage.

 _You won't get away. I will have my prince return to me soon._

And while all of this was happening, Bayonetta just smiled from a small perch before finally deciding to fly off. Things were finally going to get interesting for her now.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 8169 words.**

 **Li: And now Corrin is in the hands of the OT3.**

 **Me: Shit may have hit the fan, but things are still going to get worse. Notes!**

 **1\. This is where I start asking my reviewers on who killed Mikoto with the evidence presented so far? Is it Garon, Sumeragi or someone else altogether trying to frame one or the other kings? It's not going to be that cliché even if you guys played Fates.**

 **2\. I didn't want to describe Tifa's appearance mainly because Cloud isn't looking at her when he's talking. He doesn't care, but when Corrin meets her later, there will be a description due to being introduced to her the first time.**

 **3\. You'll figure out who these odd people at the bar are later. Remember the first chapter of the story and then make a mental note of characters that can see the future or sense danger.**

 **4\. Gunther's death is reminiscent of the first part of the game where he dies by Gantz betraying him and Corrin. Unlike the main game, Gunther is very much dead here.**

 **5\. Macbeth could sense a powerful magician nearby. He can claim it's a witch but it could be anyone. We just know it's Bayonetta helping Cloud out.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	5. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Where Do We Go From Here?

* * *

Cloud really wasn't thinking straight when he decided to save Corrin from the perverted man that was forcing himself onto him. Cloud hated injustice. He pretended to not care about the people around him, but this would be the second time he saved Corrin against his better judgement. In a situation like this, he could demand the prince pay him for these rescues, but it would be considered inappropriate. Corrin had just lost his mother to an unknown assailant, witnessed the murder of his mentor and caretaker and was going to be blackmailed into submitting to the evil tactician. The silver haired prince wouldn't even be in the right mind to accept or deny anything from the mercenary.

Another sign that Cloud wasn't thinking straight was taking Corrin to Tifa's bar. Cloud lived with Tifa so it wasn't a surprise that he would go to her to hide from the authorities. The problem was that this put her in more danger than she already was. Tifa was going to let Cloud know that his decision was foolish.

"Cloud, I know you like to play hero, but why did you bring the prince to my bar? He's an important figure and if anyone sees him, everyone is going to swarm in here and arrest us. We can't be caught now after all of this time."

"I know."

"No, you don't know Cloud! You should have brought the prince to that witch's place!"

"…Well I'm here because I needed someone who has no intention screwing me over to sit down and talk to me about what to do now. I already did the deed. I can't bring him back to the temple."

Tifa let out an exasperated sigh. Cloud was intentionally being difficult.

"You really thought you could take the prince from his home and not expect any backlash?"

"Actually…"

"Cloud, don't answer that. Just tell me why you did it. Maybe I won't have a reason to punch you if it's a good reason."

Cloud sighed in defeat as he began explaining to Tifa what he heard in the temple. It would have been easier to just ask Corrin, but the poor prince was currently resting from the trauma that just occurred. The mercenary went into detail about how the tactician from Nohr who was named Macbeth was taking advantage of the situation. With all the servants and retainers gone, Macbeth used the opportunity to try and blackmail Corrin into marrying him. If Corrin resisted, then he would make sure that the prince would be framed for his mother's murder. Corrin's mentor Gunther attempted to save him, but ended up being killed by Gantz due to only focusing on Macbeth. Corrin's maid was then threatened and that was when Cloud decided to step in.

"…That's…terrible…" Tifa muttered. "Why would anyone do that?"

"We have seen our fair share of evil people in this world Tifa. Macbeth is scum like those other men who put us in this situation."

Tifa frowned at the mention of "other men". They weren't important at the moment. They needed to focus on the situation now.

"Cloud, what do you have in mind?" Tifa asked him. "We can't stay here much longer after what you told me. Soon, they'll check my bar and eventually find you or the prince…"

"We round out the AVALANCHE gang and depart to where the ocean is." Cloud said simply causing her to gasp.

"Are you serious? I don't think Barret and the others have enough money to get what we need and leave! We don't even have the equipment to venture off into the forest!"

Cloud obviously wasn't thinking straight at this point. However, the idea of just abandoning everything was the best idea he could think of. It was always on his mind seeing as how he found Izumo a complete dump in comparison to where he and Tifa used to live.

"We'll manage."

"…Cloud…you're also suggesting we take the prince with us. You know how much panic that will cause?"

"Don't really care."

"Cloud!"

A small groan could be heard. The two adults were in Cloud's room the entire time and had allowed Corrin to nap on the bed. He was starting to wake up again.

"Uh…where am I?" Corrin immediately gasped realizing what happened and jumped away when he realized he wasn't in his own bed. "Y-You!"

"We're always bumping into each other at the worst possible time." Cloud mocked. "Hopefully you're ready for an adventure."

"W-What? W-Where are you taking me?"

"Cloud, this plan is not finalized." The raven haired girl reminded him. "Plus, you're crazy."

"I see it in your eyes Tifa. You want to pack everything and leave."

"Leave for where?" Corrin questioned. He wanted to be brought up to speed on what was going on. Heck, he wanted to know where he was and who the beautiful girl hovering over Cloud was.

"The continent." Cloud responded. "You're a sheltered prince, so I don't expect you to believe there is life outside your temple."

Corrin felt rather offended, but held his tongue. Tifa ended up scolding Cloud again before apologizing to the prince of Izumo.

"I'm sorry. Cloud has always been a huge grouch." The young bartender apologized. "My name is Tifa Lockheart. You must be Prince Corrin I presume?"

"Y-Yes…" The prince muttered softly. He wanted to ask why she had an odd name like Cloud, but felt like it wasn't important. "Umm…where are you two taking me?"

"We aren't going anywhere yet." Tifa reassured him. "Cloud saw what happened and saved you. You are safe under my roof."

"R-Really?"

Tifa nodded her head. Corrin glanced over toward Cloud who simply turned his head.

"I should…thank you then…" Corrin mumbled.

"You don't need to thank me. Just pay me back when this is all done."

"CLOUD!"

"And you should probably do what we tell you to do. That scumbag is looking for you. One false move and you might end up throwing your country into a war."

"W-What?! Why?! You're the one who…" Corrin realized what the blond was getting at and sighed. "Okay…I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

Now it was Cloud's turn to give him a questionable look. "Hmm? You would listen to a thief?"

"…You saved me and you're aware of what is going on…and I don't know what's going on…so all I can do is trust you. I mean…you saved me before without knowing I was a prince."

"I was just passing by."

"But…" Corrin's expression darkened for a moment. "…If I find out that you killed my mother…I won't forgive you."

"I have an alibi unfortunately." The mercenary reminded him. "Remember, I was with Bayonetta when that happened. I only left her side to go steal that crown…which is over there if you're looking for it. The other treasures you have on you are pretty useless."

"They're not useless! They're family treasures!"

"I wouldn't know from how ragged they look."

Cloud flinched feeling the stare that Tifa was giving him again. It was then that he remembered he didn't tell her the truth about what happened that night.

"Cloud…"

The blond gulped realizing he was in trouble.

"You went out with Bayonetta to go steal a family treasure on the night of the murder? How dumb are you?!"

Tifa was getting a headache from dealing with her childhood friend. Cloud wasn't going to apologize for it either, which would make it worse.

"You know what, you two just stay here and get to know each other. It's utter pandemonium outside, so it's best to just lay low for now."

"But…"

"I'll get in contact with Barret. Just trust me on this and stay here. Don't go out. I don't want either of you being seen and alerting the royal families of your whereabouts."

Honesty, Cloud had nothing better to do but sleep the day away. He didn't feel like leaving the room, but at the same time, he didn't want to put Tifa's life at risk. Chances are that she would continue to run the bar to avoid suspicion.

 _I won't be able to get in contact with Bayonetta though._ Cloud thought grimly to himself as he watched his childhood friend leave the room. _If I could just talk to her, escaping would be way easier…_

* * *

With no witnesses to confirm that Macbeth was a liar, he was able to lie about the incident with Corrin. Macbeth was very much aware that the Nohr siblings would not believe him, but without proof, they couldn't accuse him of what happened. It was only him, Gantz, Corrin and Gunther in one section of the temple. Gunther was dead, Gantz was injured (but still alive) and the prince was kidnapped. They had no choice but to listen to him.

"Why were you even in the temple?" Leo had asked the evil tactician darkly. Macbeth always hated him the most out of all the siblings. "I honestly doubt that Corrin was allowing visitors after what happened to his mother."

Macbeth expected this question though. Leo was always the observant one after all and he always needed to be ready to answer without any hesitation.

"Do you want to know why I went to visit the prince? Why…it's quite simple. I was simply going to propose to him."

That actually caught them off guard. "What?!"

"You see…the queen was aware that once she remarried that her son would be all alone. I had pondered this decision for a while and decided that the only way for Corrin to move on is if he marries immediately." Macbeth tried his best to give the siblings a sincere look, but they weren't falling for it. "The prince doesn't understand the outside world. He needs someone who can guide him through these harsh times. I am willing to help him through these hard times…unfortunately…that mercenary came and kidnapped him. I was only spared because of the prince…it sickens me how weak I was…not being able to protect the one I love."

"How long are you going to lie?" Leo ended up blurting out. He wasn't going to believe this sob story and he sure as hell knew that Corrin would never accept a proposal from a scumbag like Macbeth. "Your story has holes in them Macbeth."

"Oh?"

Unfortunately for Leo, Elise ended up blurting out an obvious truth about Macbeth's lie.

"Hey, aren't you too old for big brother? What you say…that doesn't sound like something big brother would do…"

"Which part?"

Elise remained quiet. Corrin was the type to protect the weak even if he didn't like them. She didn't believe he would accept Macbeth's proposal.

"Corrin is of the age." Macbeth continued ignoring Elise and focusing on Leo. "If the hole in my story is my sudden sympathy toward the prince, you must know I am only cruel to him to be kind. Now, he needs my kindness more than anything now. He does not want to think about his mother's death. He needs to think about the future of the kingdom. He needs to think about who he will marry."

"It's a terrible time to propose." Marx stated the obvious. Unlike Leo who making accusations, Marx was cautious in comparison. It would normally be the other way around, but Marx was aware they were in Garon's presence. He had just finished ordering his troops to search all of Izumo for the silver haired prince, and the last thing he wanted was a fight between his trusted tactician and his children.

"I know. He would have continued crying if I didn't propose. We all know that we don't want to see the sweet prince in tears."

"…No…we don't." Marx admitted. He gritted his teeth knowing that Macbeth pretty much had every right to end the conversation now.

"We also know that because Izana is doing the investigation, there might be a chance that he might just say that the prince was the murderer. We know he's lazy."

This was just another lie in their minds. Izana may have appeared incompetent but he was Mikoto's closest friend. There was no way he was going to simply accuse the queen's son as a murderer without proof. Alas, the Nohr siblings couldn't question Macbeth at this point. Without Corrin to confirm or deny any of the claims, his testimony was solid. The only way they could tear his testimony apart was if they saved Corrin from Cloud. That was where they needed to invest their time and energy into.

Garon had called the siblings over. He had orders ready for them. The siblings didn't want to turn their back on Macbeth, but one by one, they slowly ignored his presence and paid attention to their father instead. Leo gave a nasty glare to the tactician that sent shivers down his spines before walking away.

Macbeth waits for the Nohr siblings to leave before his evil smile returned to his face. He laughs bitterly to himself. The Nohr siblings had no proof he was lying. They only had their gut feeling and it would do them no good in front of Garon. They needed Corrin to confirm it, but Macbeth had Corrin wrapped around his finger at this point. Everyone who knew the truth was either dead or would wind up dead very soon. If he didn't need to kill them, he would simply use his magic to get them to obey. The evil tactician was pleased that he had a way of controlling the prince of Izumo without breaking a sweat. He just needed to get in close proximity of Corrin again and make sure his spell would work. That way, he could keep an eye on him no matter where he went and pump dark magic into his blood. Corrin would just be a puppet when he was through with him.

The biggest obstacle now though was Cloud. Cloud storming in and nearly killing him hurt his plans greatly. If the mercenary didn't have a bad reputation in the first place, then he wouldn't be suspected of treachery against the prince. Macbeth was aware that Marx and his men were searching for Cloud and were not successful in the slightest. It was amusing how someone who stood out in the crowd was difficult to pinpoint and address.

Once Macbeth had Cloud in his grasp, then he could frame him as the murderer of Mikoto. Granted, no proof was found yet, but it would be so easy to have Cloud scapegoat for the loss of the queen. If he was lucky, there would be proof that he was at the pagoda before the murder occurred. If things fell into place, then Macbeth would be able to force Corrin into being in his debt.

 _Slow and steady wins the race._ Macbeth thought slyly to himself as he proceeded to search for Gantz. _The siblings have no luck finding Rapunzel or the mercenary. It will be I who finds them and wins the people's trust. For now, I must deal with that dead body. I don't need them investing the corpse to see who did the old man in._

* * *

The next morning, Tifa was able to bring the AVALANCHE group together. She left a sign on her bar saying that she would be close for the day due to the shortage of supplies. Hopefully this would be a convincing excuse that would allow people to not visit the 7th Heaven today.

Cloud was already sitting down on the largest table in the bar. Despite his prominent role in the group, he wasn't the leader of AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE only consisted of six members who showed up on time. Once Corrin woke up, he would see who these members are.

The four people Tifa requested consisted of three men and a woman. The man that made Corrin tremble in fear was the tall, muscular dark skinned man and when one said dark skinned, they meant _very_ dark skinned. His entire presence screamed "foreigner" to Corrin. He wore a dirty brown vest, green pants and large brown boots. Corrin wondered if those types of clothes could be bought in Nohr but he doubted it. The silver haired prince was scared of the oddly shaped arm that the muscular man had. He was even more intimidating with the dark glasses he wore over his eyes. He noticed the way Corrin was looking at him and spoke in a rough voice.

"What's with that look? You act like you haven't seen a black man before."

"Umm…uh…sorry?"

"Barret, he's a sheltered prince. I doubt he even knows what a gun is." Cloud brought up causing the tall man to growl.

"The queen did a poor job educating her son then."

"Excuse me?!"

Cloud just shook his head in annoyance at Barret's words. Corrin decided it was best to ignore this intimidating man and observed the other three members of AVALANCHE instead. One guy was slim with an olive shirt, green-quarter trousers and a red bandana tied on his forehead. The other guy was overweight with a beige shirt, blue shorts, brown boots, a shoulder pad and a matching red bandana that the slim guy had that was worn to keep his black hair in check. The last member of the trio was a pretty girl with a blue top with metal armor, brown gloves and knee-length green shorts. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail and unlike the other two members who were eyeing Corrin suspiciously she was more than ready to ease Corrin's doubt.

"So you're the prince of Izumo? It's nice to meet you. I'm Jessie! Don't mind Barret's words. The small fry over there is Biggs and the big guy is Wedge."

"Small fry…really? I'm not that short." Biggs grumbled.

Wedge simply greeted Corrin in comparison. He tried to shake his hand but Corrin just gave him a confused look. It was obvious he didn't understand what the gesture was given how Mikoto leaned toward Hoshido customs…

Cloud needed to get everyone on track. A small cough caught their attention. Quickly he gave them the update of the situation. AVALANCHE was aware of the queen's death, but they were confused on why the prince was even in the bar. Heck, they never saw the prince in person, so it was a bit of a surprise that Corrin was the spitting image of his mother minus the hair color (which they assume came from his father). Cloud spoke about the Nohr Kingdom and how Macbeth was taking advantage of Mikoto's death for an arranged marriage. Cloud reminds them that he has all the treasures that were in the pagoda.

"The plan now is to get out of Izumo and cut through the forest. If the path is still the same, we should be able to reach the ocean again. There should be a sailor who will let on his ship and take us back to the continent. If we offer the prince or his treasures, then we should be in the clear."

"Cloud, I really wish you would stop thinking up things without us." Tifa said with a sigh. "There's no guarantee there will be someone who takes us on the ship or if we'll get in trouble because it's the prince."

"It will be fine as long as we-"

"Cloud, please. I know you want to go home, but we need to really think this out. Nohr and Hoshido are searching for Corrin. Besides, we're not using Corrin as a hostage."

"I'm not a hostage." Corrin spoke surprising the girl. "I…at the moment…I don't know what to do…but I don't want to be involved in the politics going on now. Macbeth…he wants to marry me. I…don't want to marry him…or anyone at the moment. I need to get away from here…"

Corrin knew he was running away from his responsibilities. His mother would be disappointed that he was going to flee with people he didn't know. The silver haired prince would reason he was in debt to Cloud for saving him twice at this point. If Cloud saved him one more time though…then…

Tifa looked over to Barret in worry. Barret didn't seem to understand what exactly Corrin was going through even with Cloud running through the information he had at the moment. All he and the members of AVALANCHE could get from this is that they were going to go home soon and they needed to start preparing immediately before Corrin or Cloud was found.

"Tifa, we will talk about this." Barret told him as he stood up from his chair. "Cloud, you're staying here so you don't attract any unwanted attention. Tifa, make sure you pack up the food and look out for the little prince. Everyone else, pack up your things! By tomorrow morning, we are going to be leaving this dump!"

* * *

The entire day was wasted for both Hoshido and Nohr. No matter what they did, they couldn't find a single trace of Corrin or Cloud. It caused the soldiers from both sides to lose morale. Even if Ryoma and Marx encouraged their troops to not lose hope and to continue searching, a day without Corrin hurt them more than anything. Losing the queen was already bad enough. Now the prince was gone and there was no one on the throne.

It was difficult to hide the prince was missing. The queen's death shook the people, but Corrin's disappearance would cause a panic. There wasn't anyone who could rule them if Corrin was lost. The silver haired prince may have been a hermit, but he was the sun to the people of Izumo. Without him, his kingdom would crumble to ruin.

When no good news was heard, Garon started growing impatient. He started slamming the tip of his axe against the ground wherever he walked. The stern expression he always wore worsened. He may have looked furious, but his children could see Garon was worried for the prince of Izumo. He was serious when he said that Corrin was like a son to him. Garon would not rest until he found the prince of Izumo.

Macbeth smiled seeing how Garon wanted to just accuse Sumeragi of being the killer and possibly being the reason why Corrin was kidnapped. Izana was still doing his investigation, so it would be bad to accuse the King of Hoshido without proof. Garon was getting frustrated at this point, and it would be so easy to manipulate his concern for Corrin to get what he wanted.

"Your Majesty, if I may…" Macbeth began knowing full well he was walking on eggshells around his king. "If searching on the outside of the kingdom and the streets is not giving us any results…then how about we try searching for our targets inside?"

"Hmm?"

"The man who took Corrin…I believe he has accomplices. One of these houses in Izumo holds our killer. If we interrogate everyone, surely we'll find Cloud sooner rather than later." Seeing Garon's expression remain the same, Macbeth continued. "For every minute we fail to find Cloud, he gets more time to escape from us. We don't even know if he'll stay in Izumo for wrong. If we do not find our prince soon, then the nation will be in panic for his disappearance. We cannot afford that."

"No…we cannot…"

"If the citizens refuse to cooperate with us, we will simply kill them. They do not kill about the future king of Izumo if they do not out the killer."

It sounded extreme, but that was how Nohr was in terms of dealing with resistance. They would pound you into the ground and make an example out of you until you knew your place. The only reason Garon didn't say "yes" immediately was because he considered how Corrin would react if the blood of his people were spilled by accident.

"…Very well."

Macbeth did his best to hide his growing smile at Garon taking his advice. The King of Nohr had ordered his soldiers to bring his children to him so he could tell them their new orders. Suffice to say, they were far from pleased to find out that they had the right to invade the people of Izumo's privacy.

"Father, pardon for me asking, but I do not believe this is the best idea." Marx spoke up only for Garon to shoot a nasty glare at him.

"We do not have time to think about what Hoshido thinks if that is what you're thinking." Garon began. "Our goal is to find the prince and capture the mercenary that _you_ failed to capture before the banquet."

"Ah…"

"Perhaps if you have caught this mercenary sooner, I would not resort to going with this plan."

"You have no right to question me. Now, go find those two…unless you want me to execute you right here."

Marx could not fight with his father. The other siblings shivered at the tone Garon was using. It was obvious that it was Macbeth's suggestion, but they could do nothing if Garon agreed to it.

The Nohr siblings dismissed themselves leaving Garon with Macbeth. The King of Nohr suggested that Macbeth follow his own advice and check all the houses with everyone else. Macbeth would tell him that he would check up on Gantz first before doing that. Garon would then leave the Nohr tactician alone allowing Macbeth to collect himself. Macbeth let out a sigh of relief thinking that he was all alone unaware that there was someone spying on him from the shadows.

"Heh…everything is falling into place. Soon, I will have the prince in my arms. He cannot escape for long…heh heh…hah hah hah!"

Macbeth's evil laugh echoed throughout the room. The spy wondered how no one could hear the tactician confess his treachery to the king and the others. The spy would sneak away and find Corrin first so Macbeth's plan wouldn't come to fruition.

* * *

By Garon's orders, the soldiers from Nohr were free to kill anyone that they thought was holding Corrin hostage. This should have made things easier because people would fear for their lives and expose Corrin (and by proxy Cloud's) location. However, it really wasn't that simple. Macbeth made the suggestion because of how easy it would be to throw Izumo into chaos. If Cloud was found, then it would be even easier to frame him as a bad guy.

Sumeragi and those from Hoshido did not agree with this idea. It wasn't proving effective. It just startled many civilians who were trying to get through the day. The last thing they wanted was Nohrian soldiers knocking on their door and asking if they saw a mercenary with a big sword in hand. Sumeragi wanted to keep a low profile about the missing prince, but Garon made it difficult to hide it.

The King of Hoshido did in fact confront Garon about his decision, but the King of Nohr made a strong point on why they needed to find Cloud. From eye witness, Cloud was a dangerous man who was able to kill Gunther. Gunther was one of the strongest warriors in Izumo despite his age and he went down with one hit. Gantz was also one of the finest generals in Nohr and he was injured without much of a struggle. Cloud was someone not to be reckoned with.

"I had let my son handle the mercenary, but it seems that by not finding this man sooner that he has been able to cause this tragedy." Garon admitted to the Hoshido King. "I will take full responsibility once he has been captured."

Sumeragi did not trust Garon's words. However, this was not the time for a quarrel. Finding Corrin should be their top priority.

The search party from both Hoshido and Nohr's side prevented the AVALANCHE gang from getting things done sooner. Besides Cloud, Barret stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone who was considered suspicious was being stopped and questioned. Barret was forced to lay low and not look suspicious or the plan would be ruined.

Fortunately, AVALANCHE had been preparing to leave for some time. They were trying to earn enough money to be able to leave without anyone noticing. They had the items needed to be able to leave, but the question now would be if they could escape without getting caught. By nightfall, the group somehow managed to regroup at the bar.

Corrin was surprised at how this small grouped worked. Granted, they were a bunch of mercenaries who held two jobs to hide the fact that they murdered people behind the scene for money. It caused the silver haired prince to shiver to think that he would be going with these dangerous people. Granted, Tifa looked like a nice girl and Cloud did save him twice. Everyone else was still suspicious in his eyes. The weapons they carried were foreign to the Izumo prince. He was certain they were not from Hoshido, Nohr or even Izumo.

"What are these weapons?" Corrin asked out loud seeing these items rested on the table. "I have never seen them before."

"Oh, they're just guns and grenades." Wedge explained in a matter of fact tone. "They're pretty common from the continent we're from. We had to keep a low profile on these though seeing as how they would draw suspicion to us."

"Guns?"

"Yeah. Compared to this continent, we live in a more advanced society that has moved on from swords and magic for the most part. Science and technology is the future after all. However, magic is still important as they can do things that science is still incapable of doing."

"Eh…"

Corrin was lost with Wedge's explanation. Wedge patted him on the path joking how when Corrin is taken to their continent that he'll learn what he's talking about in due time. Corrin wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving though. He was just too emotionally vulnerable to think clearly on what he needed to do. The thing that came to mind was to avenge his mother, but he was too scared to even consider doing that. He was incapable of fighting and Macbeth was going to use this opportunity to force the teenage prince to marry him. Running away just sounded like the best idea.

Wedge was called away by Jessie to help her with something leaving Corrin alone in the restaurant section. He should be heading back to Cloud's room and get some shut in. The silver haired prince would have done so if he didn't hear a knock on the door. His heart skipped a beat wondering if they found him. However, his gut told him to answer the door despite being told to not be anywhere near said door.

Slowly, Corrin got up and opened the door. He was surprised to see who was on the other side.

"F-Flora? What are you doing here?!"

Flora immediately shushed him as she forced herself into the bar. AVALANCHE will complain later, but Corrin had a feeling that Flora had info that he needed.

"Prince Corrin, you know I can sense your presence no matter where you are." Flora told him. She noticed the puzzled expression he had and smiled. "You pick that up when you have been taking care of a hard headed prince all your life."

Corrin couldn't help but smirk at that comment. Normally, he would be upset by her insult, but times like these required jokes.

"…I'm just glad you're safe." Corrin admitted. "I was scared that Macbeth got you…"

"There is no need to worry about me. I am capable of taking care of myself."

"But it's Macbeth…"

Flora gave Corrin a cold stare at the evil tactician being mentioned. "Corrin, are you aware of what is going on outside?"

"S-Sort of…"

"Hoshido and Nohr soldiers are searching for you and the man known as Cloud Strife. Garon in particular has ordered his men to search every home for either of you. While I understand that Garon is worried for your safety, I can confirm that Macbeth is manipulating Garon's fears to his advantage. If they do not find you soon, innocent bystanders will be hurt."

It wasn't a surprise that Macbeth was willing to use the king to get to him. Corrin hated the man even more…but he was also scared of him. There wasn't anything he could do against a powerful man like him if he didn't have a way of hurting him.

"Fear not. I will not leave your side, nor will I turn you or the mercenary known as Cloud Strife in. I would rather have you introduce me to him instead so I can evaluate him."

"Huh?"

"Forgive me prince, but I do not trust this man at the moment. He may have saved you from Macbeth, but he is still a killer and an opportunistic thief. He may just be as sly as Zero."

Corrin didn't believe that. Flora was a maid that suspected everyone of treachery for whatever reason. She always observed others from a distance and then judged them later. Flora had never been wrong with her judgement. Right now, she just needed to see the mercenary and see if he was capable of protecting her prince.

"Okay…I'll lead you to him…but he's going to yell at me for allowing you in. I mean…you said they were looking for me…"

"Don't worry. I was not being followed."

Corrin could only hope Flora was right on that one.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 6383 words.**

 **Li: Something bad is going to happen…I just know it.**

 **Me: Well yeah. The plot is just beginning after all. Notes!**

 **1\. I'll eventually explain why Cloud is so obsessed with returning home. He has mentioned it half the time at this point. At the moment, we are still in the first "arc" of this story which is considered the "beginning" that will eventually allow Corrin, Cloud and Bayonetta to team up.**

 **2\. Remember the jewel that Garon gave Corrin? Pay attention to the color as time goes on. Garon gave the jewel to Corrin for good intentions, but one has to wonder what the jewel actually does.**

 **3\. The reason why the explanation of the AVALANCHE members is so vague is because of how Corrin isn't really looking at them. Like, Barret's skin color stands out so the focus is on that. Jesse is a pretty girl so of course Corrin is looking at all and then kind of ignoring Biggs and Wedge. Barret's comment probably is out of place, but you got to remember that Hoshido is based on Japan and Nohr is based on Europe country (I think Scandinavia honestly given the whole Norse Mythology theme of Valla).**

 **4\. If it isn't apparent already, the continent is a reference to Midgar which is Cloud's universe. Soon, I will explain why there is such a technology gap between the feudal era and the modern era. This is also why most of the Smashers are missing. This is a Smash story first before Fates, but so far, it seems to be a Fates story with Smash characters (and Disgaea). You guys should probably start guessing which Smasher is going to show up soon.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	6. Bloodstain

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Bloodstain

* * *

It was funny that despite the fact Hoshido and Nohr were checking all the houses for any signs of the Izumo prince and the murderer, no one decided to check the 7th Heaven Bar. Leon had his suspicions from the very beginning seeing as how it was a place where people had been going to in order to drown their sorrows out for the deceased queen.

Leon had no intention of losing to Takumi when it came to finding Corrin. It shouldn't have been a contest, but it ended up being. Whoever found Corrin first would be able to be the one to comfort the timid prince. Corrin may have been older than the Nohrian prince, but Leon felt obligated to protect him like he was the younger prince. Leon also needed to throw out the window how they would never be stepsiblings with the death of the queen, but the least he could do was help ease Corrin's pain.

Zero was easily one of Leon's best companions. Despite his cruel nature, he got the job done when asked. Leon had Odin keep close tabs on Macbeth and the soldiers he was in charge with and report on him. Zero was asked to look for anything suspicious. Zero had pointed out the obvious concerning the 7th Heaven Bar. People had been coming in and out of the bar despite the fact the bar was closed. If it was just the bartender, it would have been one thing, but suspicious looking people were going in with items that made it seem like they were preparing for a journey in which they would not return.

"This is definitely suspicious!" Odin declared. "We shall investigate and expose those evildoers who dare tries to hide their villainous actions in the darkness of the night!"

Leon rolled his eyes at how descriptive Odin was being. The dark mage was a wacky man, but Leon did rely on him for important matters too. When Odin told him that there wasn't anyone else nearby at the moment (Macbeth or Hoshido soldiers) meaning they were free to storm into the bar and demand answers. Since they were already asking everyone, this place was no different, but Leon wanted to be more polite about it. Despite telling him to hold on, Odin ended up going to the bar and forcing himself in.

"I wonder why I have such an obnoxious retainer like him." Leon asked out loud and that only earned a chuckle from Zero. "…Don't say anything Zero. Just be on the lookout."

Zero just smirked as a response as Leon ended up waltzing in after his retainer.

"I apologize for my retainer." Leon spoke hoping to get everyone's attention. Unlike Odin who looked like circus performer at times, Leon was easy to recognize as royalty. "I am the second son of King Garon. I have come under the king's orders to search every house and question every person concerning Prince Corrin and the mercenary who goes by Cloud Strife. Once we investigate, we will leave, so please cooperate with me. We can get things done faster."

Leon unfortunately got talked over by Odin that caused him to nearly slam his tome on the nearby table just to get Odin's attention.

"My apologies Prince Leon," Tifa began, "but your retainer is being rude. The bar is closed because I was holding a party with a group of friends. You can see them all here. We are not hiding anything and it's not suspicious to bring things into a close bar. You can ask the neighbors of who the usual customers I get are."

Tifa looked over to the other members of AVALANCHE hoping they would help her craft the narrative with her. While Jesse was obviously hiding something under the table, Biggs and Wedge started laughing at Barret as if he told a stupid joke. Barret raised his eyebrow in confusion but continued to eye Odin specifically. He wasn't convinced of this story.

"Lies! It's all lies!" Odin declared causing both Leon and Zero to groan in frustration. "Do you think your fantasy stories will fool the great Odin Dark?"

"What did you say you little shit?"

Biggs and Wedge had to step in between Barret and Odin and state that he's drunk and isn't thinking clearly. Their friend was simply losing his temper because it was obvious that the Nohrian prince and his retainers would not be fooled by false tales that Tifa started. They still needed to play it off like nothing was wrong or they would get attacked for defying them. Leon gave Zero the look to start searching for anything suspicious. The thief would surely find something.

The noise outside of the room alerted the members who were hiding. Cloud growled at how persistent these people were in trying to find him. Corrin was scared. Flora may not have been followed, but someone like Leon would eventually put two and two together and find them. They needed to leave now.

"Is there a backdoor Cloud?" Corrin asked. "We can't stay here. I know that man. Zero…he will find me. He always does…"

Cloud was confused by this statement and even more confused on why Corrin was blushing when he said that.

"Yes. There's a secret door in the back. It hasn't been used much." Cloud wasted no time leading the silver haired prince and his maid to the location. While he wasn't pleased that Corrin let Flora in, she was incredibly honest from what he observed. She would not throw Corrin under the bus. "…I feel bad for leaving Tifa…but I feel like she knows more than anyone that we have to leave now or it's over before it even begins."

"Will they be okay?" asked Corrin.

"What will most likely happen is we will retreat into the forest and wait for them to catch up. From there, we continue traveling until we get away from this area. Eventually, we'll reach the ocean."

The plan still wasn't clear. Corrin felt like Cloud was just thinking everything would run smoothly. The blond just wanted to get home and needed the prince with him to do so. Corrin would be forced to just grin and bear it.

"Make sure you have everything. We are leaving now."

Cloud moved some items that were blocking the secret exit. It was hidden in the floor. They needed to climb down the small ladder and then go through a small tunnel that would lead them outside. Cloud made Flora go first so she could "scout" the area. He would be the last one as he had to make sure he was able to rearrange things to how they originally were to draw less suspicion. Once that was done, Cloud would follow them. It was a miracle he was able to be able to carry his buster sword along with a few other things needed for the journey. Corrin and Flora probably had the few items needed with them. Corrin needed to have the crown, sword and dragonstone with him to show that he was indeed the next heir of Izumo (not like it would be of any use if the plan was successful).

Unfortunately, the moment they got out of the bar was when Cloud noticed that the entire outside was being guarded by soldiers from Nohr. They were patrolling the area hoping to spot something, but they found their search was futile. Cloud growled at how they would need to use the dark alleyways to even get to the forest.

Sometimes I wish Bayonetta's place wasn't at the edge of the forest. It would be way easier to find a meetup place. Cloud complained to himself as he took the lead and ordered the two to stay close. He didn't think Corrin would be able to follow close without attracting any attention, so he made the risky move of reaching out and grabbing Corrin's hand catching his attention. "…Don't let go. I'm leading the way."

Corrin's cheeks started to light up but he obeyed the older male. He didn't want to get caught by those menacing soldiers either. Who knows what they would do to him.

* * *

Cloud's group wasn't as crafty as they thought they were. Zero noticed that Cloud was escaping with the prince and his maid and made sure to tell the young Nohrian prince of what he had witnessed. This was why Leon relied on Zero so much in comparison to others. Odin was good for distracting people, but Zero was perfect with gathering information with how sneaky he was.

"What shall we do Prince Leon?" Zero had asked him with a smirk on his lips. "Shall we expose them or…"

Leon had to think about it. Corrin always had a reason for doing things. He could just believe Macbeth and think that the Izumo prince was being taken against his will. However, he was a good judge of character. So far, the people who were hiding this Cloud person were not villainous people. The girl was too nice for her own good. She tried to play it off like she was some dumb bimbo, but seeing as how she was in charge of the bar, she was obviously intelligent despite her looks. Now the people with her looked suspicious, but as long as they played their cards right, they weren't going to attack. This made the dark knight think that perhaps there was more to the situation than what he knew.

"No…instead, I would rather have you speak to the prince alone about what has happened and return to me. Unless I hear it from Corrin, I will not act hastily."

With that said, Leon was going to casually leave without attracting any sort of attention. If he could just catch up with Corrin, then the truth would come out about what Cloud's role was in this whole "kidnapping".

"Thank you for your cooperation." Leon had told Tifa as he stood up from the chair. "If you have any news of the prince, please report to me or any of my siblings. Time is of the essence."

Tifa nodded her head slowly. She was wondering if she gave Cloud enough time to escape. Leon didn't seem to be the type that would give her a hard time so she allowed him and his retainers to leave without a fuss.

There was only one problem. The minute Leon, Odin and Zero left 7th Heaven, Macbeth was waiting for them. The Nohrian prince's expression paled seeing the evil tactician.

"Oh, fancy meeting you hear Prince Leon."

Macbeth couldn't hide his smirk and honestly it pissed Leon enough to order one of his retainers to wipe the smirk off his face. However, Leon bit his tongue and tried to play it off like he didn't let the residents of the bar go without a fight.

"If you think I'm slacking, fear not. I have done my part here. I have spoken to the local bar owner and she like many people we questioned tonight as not seeing the prince or our culprit."

"Oh? You're just going to leave the bar intact?"

Leon glared at him as a response. "What are you insinuating?"

"You know what your father does to people who may have an idea of betraying him?"

"The fangs of rebellion must be plucked as soon as possible. I'm surprised that you of all people haven't burned places like these to the ground." Before Leon could make a counter argument, Macbeth continued to put him on the spot. "You said that the bartender did not see either the prince or the kidnapper, yet I saw them leave in the back not too long ago."

Leon forced himself to remain stoned face. That was exactly what Zero told him. The worse possible scenario was happening if he failed to see that but Macbeth saw them.

"…If you saw them, why didn't you go after them?"

Macbeth had a great reason to. If he could prove that Leon and his retainers were letting Corrin escape without a fight, then he could punish Leon for it later. There was another reason though. In the shadows, he saw how Corrin was acting with the kidnapper that made his blood boil. Cloud was supposed to be his kidnapper, yet Cloud was treating the prince like a delicate object. Corrin wasn't exactly the fastest person, so seeing the mercenary hold Corrin's hand as they escaped with that blue haired maid made him want to split the two apart and kill Cloud for touching what was his.

"I have a plan that will force them to come back." Macbeth began as he snapped his fingers. "Gantz."

Gantz shouldn't be walking around, but he wanted to get back into the action immediately when he was told he could take the life of the man who injured him unexpectedly. Underneath his armor was a huge bandage where the stab wound was, but it wasn't enough to deteriorate from Gantz's movement. The berserker smirked as he had a torch in his hand. There were other soldiers behind him with torches ready to throw them when ordered.

"Time to force the rats out of this place." Gantz said with a laugh before Macbeth gave the order to set the place on fire.

Leon extended his hand out as if he wanted the tactician to stop what he was doing, but Zero extended his hand out forcing his lord to put his arm down. Leon knew he couldn't fight back against Macbeth now. He had to bide his time as well if he wanted to expose this fool, but it would mean sacrificing the people who were involved with Cloud.

However, AVALANCHE wasn't going to just let the building burn and die inside. The team was expecting some sort of attack whether it was from Leon or someone else and had their weapons ready. They would lose most of their supplies because of the sudden investigation. Only what Cloud, Corrin and Flora took would be saved. At least with them they had a weapon.

"I've been waiting to shoot these ugly soldiers up." Barret declared as he reloaded his weapon. "It's time to get the fuck out of here!"

Tifa wished the Nohrian soldiers weren't so violent, but they would have to fight their way through. Tifa was good with punching things, so she would be able to rush on through once Barret and his gang finished shooting into the ground.

That was what they did. The sudden gunfire caught everyone off guard. Barret laughed as he pointed his arm cannon in the direction of his enemies as he let it rip. These backwards soldiers didn't have a chance against him!

"D-Don't just stand there! Kill them!" Macbeth ordered. He was terrified at these items used and it wasn't because he didn't see them before.

Leon had pulled Odin and Zero back. He gave them the order to pursue Cloud and arrest him. The violence would stop once the prince was returned. Leon still expected the thief to find out the truth from Corrin, but right now, he needed to take advantage of this chaos.

"Odin, if you see any of my siblings on the way, tell them to come here. We need backup. These aren't your ordinary kidnappers!"

"Understood!"

"Zero, remember, if you see Corrin, please make sure you don't hurt his maid. Corrin already lost Gunther. He doesn't need to lose her too."

Zero smirked as if that was an order he wouldn't obey, but Leon would find out if he disobeyed or not. Zero nodded his head as they both left their prince to fend for himself. Leon would be okay though. He was one of the finest soldiers in Nohr and modern technology wasn't going to faze him one bit. As long as he had Brynhildr with him, he would be fine. He would simply sit back and watch and then strike.

* * *

Corrin jumped after hearing a loud boom in the background. The only thing he could think of was that fireworks were set off. But why would they be setoff at a time like this when everything was doom and gloom? The prince of Izumo shouldn't have had turned around to see what was going on. His eyes widened in horror at what he saw. Cloud ended up turning around to see why Corrin stopped moving. His heart nearly sank at the scene.

"No way…they actually…"

What Corrin heard was gunfire, but the sight that distracted him and Cloud was smoke in the air. One location was set on fire and that location was the 7th Heaven Bar. Flora could not believe how extreme things have gotten in such a short amount of time. Were they that desperate on finding Corrin they would conveniently set the bar he disappeared from on fire?

Cloud let go of Corrin's hand in that moment. The Izumo prince saw the look in the mercenary's eyes. He wanted to run back and save his friends. Unfortunately, he had a mission. He needed to take Corrin and leave Izumo before anyone saw them. If it meant leaving all of his friends to die though…was it really worth it?

"Cloud?"

Corrin could see the dilemma plaguing Cloud at the very moment. The silver haired prince wondered if being with the mercenary caused these turn of events. Would Cloud blame him?

"…We can't turn back now." Cloud told him with a shaky voice as he forced himself to turn away. "Returning home is the most important thing."

"Cloud…is that…what you really think?"

Cloud would have said something but Flora interrupted him.

"I'm sorry, we have trouble!" She shouted as she took her kunai out.

Cloud snarled at the bad timing. They didn't get as far as they wanted but Hoshido ninjas have apparently saw something moving and had rushed their way. Now they were certain that it was the missing prince with their target. Corrin's eyes widened at Cloud already assuming a stance.

"C-Cloud, we shouldn't be fighting. We need to save our strength and not hurt anyone…"

"Well, we're already caught." The blond growled. "Stay behind me and your maid."

"N-No!" Corrin cried as he stood in front of Cloud and Flora. "P-Please! Lower your weapons! This isn't what it looks like!"

The Hoshido soldiers glanced at each other and shook their head.

"It's the prince alright…as naïve as ever…"

"Prince Corrin, we will be taking you back. Step aside so we can kill these kidnappers."

"No! Cloud didn't kidnap me! He saved me! And Flora is my maid! She's not a traitor!"

The Hoshido soldiers didn't care. All they knew was anyone who was ready to fight them were the enemy and they needed to retrieve the prince. Cloud forced Corrin to stand behind him. This wasn't going to take long.

* * *

Dealing with the Hoshido soldiers weren't easy. In fact, they were difficult because Cloud was playing escort mission. He had to make sure that Corrin wasn't kidnapped while he was fighting the ninjas and he also had to make sure that Flora wasn't killed in the crossfire. She was a maid so it made sense she wasn't good for fighting. It only annoyed her with how much of a liability she was being to the mercenary. So, by the time Cloud cleared out the enemies, the trio didn't get far away from the 7th Heaven Bar. In fact, the AVALANCHE group ended up clearing a path and following Cloud…and Cloud didn't get as far as he wanted. Barret would be scolding him for being slow without the group later on…if they survived the entire army.

It took time for AVALANCHE to catch up with Cloud thus it allowed the other siblings to be warned of the resistance. Leon was actually smirking that it was Marx that was warned and came to stop the suspects. If Marx was here, whatever Macbeth was planning would be hindered. Macbeth's orders were not above the oldest son of Garon. He needed proof that the orders Macbeth gave out was directly from Garon. Otherwise, he would risk losing his position as Nohr's tactician.

Lazward and Pieiri were with Marx ready to subdue AVALANCHE for the sake of the kingdom of Izumo.

"Prince Corrin and his maid are here. Make sure you do not harm them." Marx reminded his retainers.

"We can kill everyone else though, right?" Pieri asked with excitement in her voice.

This was the negative side of Macbeth being on the battlefield. He may have no authority against Marx, but when it came to killing any suspects, Marx had to comply with how Nohr handles criminals. As a result, the blond paladin nodded his head at Pieri's question getting her fired up.

"Pieri can't wait to kill!" She hummed. "Watch me Xander! Pieri will make you proud!"

The female retainer would prove herself to be more dangerous than the odd weapons that AVALANCHE was carrying. Her horse showed no fear charging into battle. Barret did not hesitate to aim his weapon at the crazed cavalier, and Pieri had no problem dodging it. The speed of the bullets didn't matter when Pieri was good at invading them. When she couldn't do that though, Lazward proved to have her back and used his shield to deflect the bullets. Unlike the other soldiers where shields were proven useless, Lazward's shield seemed to be made of different material that wouldn't harm him from these weird weapons. Barret realized this quickly and ordered the group to step back.

"Pieri, aim for his gun arm." Lazward instructed her. "He won't be able to shoot at us if we cut his arm off."

Barret was rather surprised by his words. How did Lazward know it was a gun? This was a backwards society that relied on medieval weapons after all.

Pieri was more interested in getting rid of the weaklings that were behind the dangerous gunner. They had no problem dealing with the weak soldiers, but the minute they saw her, they started cowering in fear. Biggs had to force himself to stand his ground so he wouldn't run away and risk putting himself in a worse position.

Macbeth assisted from the sidelines with his dark tome. All he needed to do was make sure Barret was shooting up the place and things would be easier on him. Tifa noticed what he was trying to do and tried to rush his way. However, Lazward had to deal with Tifa. If Pieri did the right thing, she would cut off Barret's arm and then apprehend the suspects, but chances are she would kill them.

"Where are you going my fine lady?" Lazard asked Tifa as he quickly left the crazed cavalier's side in order to get in front of Tifa. The bartender wasn't expecting Lazward to be quick on his feet along with having the knowledge of their weapons. "I know this is a battlefield, but after this misunderstanding is cleared up, how about we have a cup of tea?"

"Move!"

Tifa attempted to punch Lazward in the face as a result, but again, his shield proved to be able to block her powerful punch although the vibration from the shield caused him to shiver at how much power she had despite being girl.

"I would appreciate it if we didn't resort to violence…but you leave me no choice."

Lazward's sword was different from the other swords the soldiers had. It was easier to swing and was difficult to block. Tifa had dealt fighting mercenaries like this in the past, so why was he harder? Because of the gray haired mercenary, the bartender would be kept far away from her companions.

Marx had approached Cloud seeing him as the leader of AVALANCHE. He wasn't wrong to think that. This was the man that was giving him the rundown for quite some time. Now was the chance to defeat him.

"Your sword has already been drawn." Marx started as he took out Siegfried from its hilt. A dark aura radiated from the blade when it was released from its confinement. "Come at me!"

Cloud wanted to make a snarky comment, but he couldn't leave Corrin or Flora alone. At the very least they would not be killed as long as they stayed away but…

"I wonder if defeating you will allow us to go past you." Cloud wondered out loud as he got in his battle stance. "Whatever, this won't last long. You two need to keep your distance. They won't kill you."

"But they'll capture me if…" Corrin's voice trailed off as he looked over the battlefield. Depending on who he sat next to would determine what he could do. "…Okay…Flora…over there."

The safest place would be next to Leon. It was odd for him to run to the Nohrian prince willingly, but he was hoping that the blond prince would find it odd how Cloud was allowing him to run back to him. Either Cloud was incredibly confident in his abilities to take down Marx, or this was a huge misunderstanding. Leon did not fail to take note. He also did not fail to see the look Macbeth had when the Izumo prince was farther away from him.

"I hope you kill him, Prince Marx." Macbeth mumbled to himself. "We cannot allow these people to run around with these weapons of mass destruction…"

Marx ordered his horse to charge into Cloud. The mercenary blocked with the buster sword, but immediately noticed something was wrong. The sword Marx had was incredibly powerful and was allowing him to get all of these free hits from the darkness of the blade. Cloud growled as he was forced to jump back. He tried to hit back with a blade beam he generated from his sword. It was nothing Siegfried could handle as magic from the sword also would nullify the effect. Cloud then rushed in trying to knock Marx off his horse next, but Marx wouldn't allow him to do that. The horse neighed before attempting to kick the mercenary. Cloud almost found himself impaled as a result thus he had to pull back.

"…Dammit…" Cloud cursed as he tried to think of what he could do next. It was when he heard Tifa scream did he lose focus and look to see what was going on. His eyes widened in horror what had transpired in such a short time.

Pieri was making quick work of the AVALANCHE members. She had her horse knock Barrett down to the ground and kept him in place. She was going to take Lazward's and cut off his arm, but the other members of AVALANCHE would not allow her to do so. She hummed seeing how easy of a target they were and suddenly ordered her horse to go after them positioning her spear ready to skewer one of them.

Wedge was the first one to go. He was such an easy target due to how big he was. Biggs and Jesse were able to move, but she chased him down and impaled him through the stomach. She smiled as he screamed. It was amazing how she was strong enough to lift the bigger man over her in the air. By doing this, he started falling down the spear she had.

"WEDGE!" Biggs called out as he immediately pointed his firearm at the blue haired girl. "YOU BITCH!"

Pieri hummed as she made Biggs her next target. "Pieri has decided you will be on a skewer with this big man."

"BIGGS, DON'T SHOOT!" Jesse screamed. "YOU'LL SHOOT WEDGE!"

Biggs was filled with so much rage that he didn't see how Pieri was using Wedge as a shield against his bullets. If Wedge was still alive from being impaled, he wasn't now due to the friendly fire. She hummed as she rammed her spear into the smaller man's chest. Pieri knew she pierced an artery and hummed at the amount of blood that was being spilled.

"Two down." She hummed as she used her strength to remove the bodies from her now bloody spear. "Lot's more to go."

To make sure that Biggs was dead though, she took her spear and impaled him in the forehead causing Barret to scream. He tried to get up, but then he noticed something. When the girl knocked him to the ground, he ended up twisting his ankle as a result. He couldn't get back up. He still had his gun, but it would prove ineffective from this distance. Pieri had now turned her attention to Jesse who was now sobbing at the gruesome murder of her friends.

"Y-You monster!" She cried as she pointed her pistol toward Pieri. "How could you do such a thing?!"

"Killing is fun and Peiri loves having fun." The cavalier said happily as she ordered her horse to now charge Jesse.

"JESSE, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Barret ordered.

Jesse refused. She wanted to take Pieri down with her and avenge her fallen comrades. Jesse's aim wasn't the best though especially when Pieri closed the gap. Pieri hummed as she stopped and then suddenly threw her lance at the girl's neck. Jesse let out a startled cry before she was hit. One shot went off at that moment, but it only grazed Pieir's cheek. She hummed at the pain she was feeling, but she succeeded in killing her third target. The spear was thrown in a way to where it would pin the target down allowing Pieri to easily pick up the spear and then turn her attention toward the next person. In this case, it was now Barret.

"Your turn." She hummed.

Barret's response was to be expected. He let out a deranged battle cry as he forced himself to stand up. He needed to shoot everyone down. It did not matter if it was friend or foe. His closest friends were just killed brutally in front of him and he wasn't going to stand for this. Tifa didn't realize how shaken she was until she was getting hit by Lazward's sword.

"Please pay attention to battle. One mistake could cost you your life like your friends that died to Pieri."

"…How dare you…" Tifa mumbled. "How dare you!"

She was fighting more fiercely but it didn't mean much when the gray haired mercenary could easily parry and strike every time. He was more interested in destroying her will to fight instead of killing her so he wouldn't feel too bad about killing the pretty girl. Tifa didn't care at this point.

Cloud wanted to help his friends out, but he was just as shaken as Tifa was. He didn't think his friends would die so easily. They had war experience in the past fighting these soldiers so what made this time different? Different strategy? Different weapons? Having the knowledge that made their weapons useless? What was it?

"Big brother, please stop!" Corrin could be heard screaming. Now he wanted to help Cloud after seeing how serious Marx was being with slaughtering the AVALANCHE members. "You can't kill all of them! Please stop!"

Marx looked over to the Izumo prince and shook his head in annoyance. Corrin was too kind for his own good. It was why he winded up in this situation in the first place. He needed to take Cloud out now while he was shocked at the death of his friends.

Corrin's pleas were ignored as Marx had completely disarmed the mercenary. Siegfried was proving to be Cloud's undoing. He has dealt with his magical blades in the past, but this one was more powerful than most. His buster sword simply couldn't handle it without the fear of it breaking. By letting himself be disarmed, it meant the dark sword was now pointed toward his neck. Tifa cried out to Cloud, but Lazward reminded her that her opponent was him and prevented her from getting in between Cloud and Marx. Barret was deadest on avenging his fallen comrades that he ignored Cloud in favor of trying to murder Pieri. Leon wasn't going to let Corrin and Flora out of his sight and made sure to have Zero and Odin near them so they couldn't approach Cloud either.

"Cloud!" Corrin cried out as he quickly turned toward the Nohrian prince. "Please, you got to stop Marx! He's going to kill him!"

It would be beneficial to keep Cloud alive. The problem was Macbeth was watching. If Marx did not kill the members of AVALANCHE now, Macbeth would make sure the wielder of Siegfried would be punished severely. Pieri had already demonstrated the Nohr way with slaughtering Biggs, Wedge and Jesse and attempting to make Barret her fourth victim. Lazward was obviously struggling, but he would eventually have to cut his opponent down. This would leave Marx who needed to take down the man being accused of killing Gunther.

"I can't. Macbeth is watching." Leon told Corrin with a disgruntled look. "I would ask you what is going on now, but I cannot do such a thing until the issue is dealt with."

"Cloud didn't kill Gunther! He didn't kill…"

Corrin's heart stopped feeling his chest tighten. The silver haired prince was confused before he felt a sudden pain in his chest. He let out a pathetic cry that caught Leon's attention.

"Corrin, what's wrong?! Are your health issues acting up again?!"

The Izumo prince didn't think it was his usual health issues. When they happened in the past, he would simply collapse and it was usually because he overexerted himself. This was different. His entire body was on fire…and it was because of the dragonstone that he was in possession of. It was just a worthless rock until now because there were no signs that it worked. Now that Corrin was being pushed into a corner where the truth would be lost to the darkness forever if he let Cloud die…

"Guuuhh! It hurts…" Corrin whined as he ended up collapsing to his knees. "It hurts…"

Flora was quick to get to Corrin's side concerned for his health. She noticed that something was wrong with his hand and gasped seeing it become deformed. Her jaw dropped slightly, but she didn't scream.

"It can't be…"

Flora glanced over to Leon and his retainers and quickly stood in between them.

"You mustn't come near! Prince Corrin is…"

In retrospect, it shouldn't be surprised what was happening to Corrin. In the eighteen years of his life, there were no signs of it, but that might have been because he was never exposed to a dragonstone in the first place. His crimson eyes and pointy ears made it apparent the Izumo prince wasn't normal to begin with. He could easily pass as an elf of sorts, but elves were incredibly rare in this region. But the truth of the matter was that Corrin still had dragon blood inside of him even if it wasn't really acknowledged by anyone who knew him due to Corrin not having any of the dragon stereotypes.

His transformation into a dragon would remind everyone why he had the potential of being a dangerous opponent. Corrin didn't look like a normal dragon you see in storybooks. Corrin's hands and feet did not completely transform but due to the color his hands and feet, it gave the impression they were hooves. Wings started to stick out of his back as well as horns popping out of his heads. Corrin let out a terrifying growl as looked toward Marx whose attention was to Corrin when he heard his cries.

"Corrin…you finally…"

" **GET AWAY FROM HIM!** " Corrin's roared. As a dragon, the volume of his voice was raised causing everyone around him to cover their ears. Corrin didn't seem to care as he rushed from his spot to protect Cloud. Unfortunately for him, Cloud didn't want his help.

"W-What are you?"

Cloud looked around to where his sword was, but found it a little too far. The dragon before him was too menacing for his liking. The worse part was he was supposed to escort this beast. It wasn't just Cloud that thought negatively of the dragon though.

"Eek! What is that monster?!" Macbeth could be heard screeching. "Get it away! Kill it!"

"Wait! That's the prince!" Flora shouted. "You mustn't attack! Hold your fire!"

Marx was still surprised to give the order to not attack. One false move and Corrin would mow everyone down. This was his first transformation and he was acting on instinct. He wanted to protect the man that was wanted by the Hoshido and Nohr kingdom, and there was nothing he could do about it. Macbeth was putting him on the spot though.

"What are you doing?! Do something before he kills us all! Kill him! Subdue him! Anything!"

Corrin snarled at Macbeth hearing his voice pierce his ears. This was his chance to kill him. This was a chance to…

At that moment, a symbol appeared below the dragon and the mercenary. Cloud recognized that symbol from anywhere and should have felt relieved. However, it was only underneath him and Corrin and not Tifa, Barret or Flora.

"Wait a second…you can't just…" Cloud didn't get to finish his sentence because the symbol glowed brightly before and instantly warped the two inside the symbol far away from the battle leaving everyone confused.

"C-Cloud?!" Tifa called out as she ignored Lazward to rush to where Cloud and Corrin were before they were taken away. "This isn't funny! Where did you go?! Cloud!"

Marx's expression darkened realizing what had happened just now. Leon and Macbeth were probably aware of what the symbol was, but it was proof of something that they had suspected for a while.

 _So there is a witch that survived that witch hunt after all..._

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 7036 words. And with that, the first arc is concluded.**

 **Li: There are arcs?**

 **Me: Yes. This is considered the opening before it's time to explain what happened and when shit gets real. And soon the other Smashers will start showing up too. Notes!**

 **1\. I am simply incapable of writing Zero/Corrin to save my life unlike the other great writers of the pairing, so I'm better off implying that Corrin probably has a crush on Zero than ripping my hair out about it. This is a Salt Trio OT3 story after all.**

 **2\. If it wasn't obvious, Lazward (and Odin and Luna by proxy) are probably not from Hoshido or Nohr. They might in fact be from the same continent Cloud is from hence why their armor is specifically suited to deal with them. I will explain it later, but just know that like in Fates, they have their reason to not telling the truth of where they're from.**

 **3\. Corrin hasn't transformed into a dragon at all. It's why I refrain from referring to him as dragon prince until this chapter. I made the transformation rather painful, but notice that Corrin still had his sanity when transforming and doesn't need Azura? I can show why later.**

 **4\. Bayonetta is kind of sloppy for teleporting Cloud and Corrin out of harms' way but not everyone else. I mean, she kind of revealed herself unlike chapter 4 where she made sure to stay hidden. Well, that will obviously have consequences next chapter.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	7. Fleeing Izumo

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: Fleeing Izumo

* * *

Cloud hated falling into a deep sleep. It meant that he would be plagued by nightmares that would overcome him and ruin his mood when he woke up. The dreams were all identical and it only made Cloud hate the decisions he made in the past. You would think that in the place he grew up in that time magic would exist. Rewinding time sounded like a wonderful thing, but he knew that it was impossible to want something like that.

The dream was no different. He was surrounded by the sounds of gunfire coming from his allies and the screams of enemies and allies alike. He was soaked with the blood of his enemies. His eyes were cold and sharp as he stared into the nothingness before him. Even with the corpses of his opponents around him, Cloud's only focus was the man lying dead in front of him. A blond male like him with so many hopes and dreams that were taken away from the fighting around him. Cloud snarled as he rushed over to the person and tried to shake him. No matter how many times he called for the person's name, his eyes would no longer open again. Cloud ended up placing his hand against the young man's now cold cheek.

"Link…I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough to protect you…please…please forgive me!"

At that point, Cloud had woken up in a cold sweat. He didn't sit up immediately. Something was holding him down that was preventing him from doing so.

"He's awake now Bayonetta!" Cloud heard a voice shout. It hurt his ears just hearing it. "I think the medicine worked."

"Well, for a prince…you do have some uses after all."

Cloud groaned as he looked down to see what was on him. He saw it was the hands of the Izumo prince. His hands were glowing brightly and wrapped his body in a warm light. Even though he was still sweating from the nightmare, the injuries that he sustained from Marx were healed. Cloud was fortunate to learn that the silver haired prince was a healer and not a fighter.

"Uh…where am I?"

"You're in Bayonetta's shop. Bayonetta saved us from Marx and the Nohrian soldiers, but we must act quickly soon. Knowing Marx, he will most certainly come here and search for us."

Cloud still needed to register his surroundings. First, he forced himself to sit up on the bed that was in the back of the store. He immediately noticed that it was Bayonetta's bed of all people. He shook his head as if trying to hide the blush that was starting to show up on his face. To make matters worse, Corrin was too close for comfort. Even though he was healed, Corrin still had his hands on Cloud's legs.

"…Please don't touch me." Cloud grumbled as he smacked Corrin's hand away. "You did your job. You don't need to have your hand there anymore."

"Huh? Hand where?"

Bayonetta could be heard chuckling in the back. "My, my! It seems Cloud has a dirty mind after all. Were you expecting the prince to serve you more than just heal your wounds caused by his big brother?"

Cloud murmured something under his breath as he chose not to bark back.

"Bayonetta, Marx isn't my brother. Mother is dead…so that will never happen."

The witch acknowledged that and dropped the subject. Cloud ended up glancing over to the silver haired prince and observed him carefully. The battle with Marx happened, but he was wondering if Corrin transforming into that terrifying dragon was just him hallucinating. The boy in front of him was back to his human form, so it might not have been real…

"What's wrong Cloud? Is there something on my face?" Corrin asked rather innocently.

"…How did you turn into that dragon?"

Corrin was going to speak but Bayonetta cut in.

"The Manakete race wasn't extinct like we were to believe." Bayonetta explained. "Remember that the prince did transform into a dragon the night his mother was murdered. It might have been a half-transformation, but it was the start of being able to use that dragonstone."

"…I thought it was just a plain old rock."

"To you yes, but it was a family treasure for a reason. Although, I wondered if you noticed how there was only one in the vault…"

"Why would that matter?" Cloud asked wondering where the witch was getting at.

"Do you recall the girl that approached us a few nights ago?"

"The one that was asking for a dragonstone?"

"Yes…I think she was aware there was only one in the vault…but I don't have the power to craft something as old as a dragonstone without the materials needed, so I would think she was giving us a warning instead."

Cloud expected Corrin to be lost with this conversation. He wasn't entirely wrong. Corrin seemed aware of what the dragonstone was as well as be aware of the number of items in the treasure vault.

"Do you know anything about this?" Cloud asked Corrin.

"Well…I read in the books about my family and how there were supposed to be two blades, two dragonstones and two crowns. That's why I thought the items were stolen when I went in…but…Bayonetta is implying that…it might have already been missing…"

"Remember Corrin, it's been eighteen years since anyone has gone into the treasure vault. Only a few selective people would know."

Cloud eyed the witch suspiciously. She was keeping him the dark intentionally.

"How much information did you know about the treasure I was trying to steal?" Cloud asked. "More importantly, how did you come to the conclusion the girl that spoke to us was warning us of the prince's heritage? Also…how much information did you tell him?"

Bayonetta wondered if Cloud was well enough to listen (as well as have enough time to even talk about it. Someone was already knocking on her door, but she assumed it was some kid messing with her door, so she ignored it. If it was a soldier though, then they had even less time than she originally thought). Looking back at the shop, she ended up coming all the way into her room and closing it so it was just her, Corrin and Cloud.

"I gave a quick update on who I am and how I was able to save you two."

"Meaning?"

"Well…" Corrin began. "Bayonetta said she was a witch from the Umbra Clan eighteen years ago. A war broke out that caused a witch hunt that wiped them all out…"

Cloud glared in Corrin's general direction at the mention of war. "Of course you talk about war…"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I'm sick of hearing that word…"

"Umm…I'm lost. Were you in the war?"

"Hardly. I could barely talk when that war happened, but I'm stuck on this god forsaken Invisible Continent because of it."

Corrin turned to Bayonetta with a puzzled expression. The Umbra Witch had no intention of talking about Cloud's past when it was obvious that Cloud knew enough about Bayonetta's. In the end, the silver haired prince was still in the dark on this entire thing.

"Umm…Bayonetta…I didn't want to ask this since I assumed that it was a terrible time for you…but do you know anything else about the war besides it wiping your entire clan out? Was there a reason for it? What started the war? Who was involved at the time…were people I knew involved?"

Bayonetta gave Corrin an odd look as a response. "…Yes…my friends, family and home were all destroyed by the war. I am the sole survivor of the Umbra Witch massacre. That's all you're going to get from me. I already told you my occupation and what I am capable of doing as a witch. There isn't anything else to talk about."

To Corrin, there was a whole lot to talk about. Cloud noted that Bayonetta was starting to close herself up again at the topic. It took him forever to get this sort of information out of her, so he had this nagging feeling Corrin wouldn't get anything out of her anytime soon.

"If you want to know about the truth of the war, you have to find it out yourself. There are still people alive besides me who know what happened and what had transpired during that time." Bayonetta said with a rather menacing smirk. "But you will need to escape from here before you can even do that. You still need to find out the truth of yourself after all if you're just finding out you're a Manakete."

Corrin wasn't really happy learning that in all honesty. He wished his mother or Gunter told him the truth before they passed on and not learning it the hard way when he suddenly found himself transforming into a dragon twice.

"And before you do that, I expect you to pick up the items you need for your journey. It's going to be a long one, so I expect you choose carefully in the little time you have left."

The silver haired prince could only comply with her. At this point, Cloud had stood up to go retrieve his buster sword. He couldn't be slacking on the job. He had places to go. He exited Bayonetta's room before he became too intoxicated with her scent again. Compared to Tifa, Bayonetta had this alluring smell that made him want to do stupid things with her, but he had to keep his hormones in check. It was becoming increasingly difficult over time and both Cloud and Bayonetta were aware of that. The blond just hated how she enjoyed teasing him to the point where he wondered if bringing up Tifa was just a way to mock his inability to do anything romantic with her. He growled at the thought causing the Umbra Witch to giggle when she saw how uncomfortable he was in her room just now.

As Corrin went to pick up his stuff from the table, Bayonetta had yanked Cloud by the arm and pulled him to the side. This confused him greatly especially with the next words she said.

"When you leave, make sure you do whatever it takes to protect Corrin. He's still the future king of Izumo and one the last surviving Manakete. He needs to be kept alive at all costs."

Cloud tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? Isn't that contradictory to what you want to happen to Izumo and the other kingdoms? And don't try to deny it. You have told me what you wished you could do to the people of this continent if you were strong enough to do so."

Bayonetta gave Cloud a strange look as a response. The mercenary was usually good at being able to read Bayonetta to an extent but not this time. He felt like she didn't tell him everything about her that he needed to know to be able to trust her. He was fine with that originally, but now that he didn't have anyone to turn to (seeing as how he didn't know what happened to Tifa and Barret), it started to make him a little worried.

In Bayonetta's mind, Corrin was the key to helping her make an important decision in the future. The kingdom of Hoshido and Nohr could try to fight it, but she knew they were delaying the inevitable. She just needed to continue biding her time, but Corrin would now allow her to speed up the process depending on his actions.

 _At least I know that the rest of the dragons aren't extinct._ Bayonetta thought to herself. When Corrin returned to their side, he noticed for a split expression the sorrowful expression the witch wore. The silver haired prince flinched seeing the cocky witch look so distressed. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but would not get the chance to.

Bayonetta groaned hearing another knock at her door. No one was willing to leave her alone today and for good reasons. She outed herself when she warped Cloud and Corrin away from the heated battle. Bayonetta would not admit that she didn't want Cloud to be killed off even though she had no obligation to save him. Now, it was going to bite her in the butt especially if the people who were knocking on her door were the elder sisters of Hoshido and Nohr and their retainers. She would have to deal with five powerful ladies outside, and while Bayonetta loved a good catfight, she didn't feel as confident as she made herself out to be.

Hinoka did a poor job hiding that it was her on the other side unlike Camilla. The purple haired princess did a good job hiding the strength in her knock as well as keeping her voice down. At the idea that Corrin was behind the door, the redhead princess couldn't help but want to tear down the door and see for herself. However, she had to be patient or more people would be killed.

"Hinoka, you must be patient. We wouldn't want to scare away sweet Corrin, right?"

"N-No…but I don't think Asama can actually do an exorcism."

Hinoka was referring to her monk retainer. Camilla had questioned Hinoka's taste in bodyguards especially when she had to do the protecting. Setsuna was a clumsy archer and Asama was an apathetic monk who spent more time mocking his princess instead of helping her.

"Your words wound me princess." Asama told her sadly even though he was smiling when he said this.

"S-Sorry…I just…even though we're after the murderer…I feel like it's unnecessary to bring you along. Camilla could easily deal with this situation."

"Really? You think that highly of me?"

"…I know you would do whatever it takes to make sure Corrin is safe and sound, so I can at least trust you if you say you will bring Corrin back safely."

Camilla nearly gasped at her words. She was almost touched with the Pegasus knight. Camilla did prioritize Corrin above anyone else, but that didn't mean that she would do it in kindly manner or even report on it to people she considered her enemy. Hinoka was a good girl though, so she probably would at least tell her what happened if she went by herself.

While the two girls were talking on the outside, Bayonetta was already sending Corrin and Cloud off their merry way. Both of them couldn't afford to be caught now especially when Bayonetta filled the silver haired prince in on some of the gaps that he needed to get motivated to solve the mystery concerning Mikoto's death.

"Use this underground route to leave Izumo." Bayonetta explained to Corrin more than Cloud. "Cloud has already taken this route before with no problems."

"I'm usually with you, so it's not really an issue." Cloud reminded her.

"Where will we end up after we get out?"

"The forest outside of Izumo used to be the domain for us witches." Bayonetta explained. "It's why the monsters roam around free without anyone to tame them. I have no idea where you intend to go from here, but chances are you'll land in an important kingdom very soon."

"Huh? There's another one? Where?"

"You'll have to figure that yourself, little one." Bayonetta teased causing Corrin to growl at how she was treating him like a child. "Now you two run along now. I'll be handling my lovely customers."

"Umm…Bayonetta…can I ask you something before we go?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you not hurt them? I love Camilla and Hinoka and I would hate to see them hurt because of a misunderstanding. Don't kill them…please."

Corrin got a small response from her, but this was interrupted by Cloud who had grabbed Corrin by the wrist and lead him away from her.

"…Thanks Bayonetta." Cloud told her. "I'll make sure to repay you later."

"I think you know the best way of repaying me when you're broke is with your body, but-"

Cloud tuned her out after that which was a good thing as that was when Bayonetta decided to confront her visitors who were ready to attack her if she messed up.

* * *

Corrin was probably asking too much when he begged Bayonetta not to pick a fight with Camilla or Hinoka. He didn't want anyone else close to him dying. If Corrin could find the answers he needed, then he could return and explain the situation. He knew he had to expose Macbeth for the scumbag he was, but he just couldn't. At the moment, everyone thought Cloud was brainwashing him, so he needed proof of Macbeth's treachery. Macbeth would eventually expose himself as the monster he is, but he really needed to bide his time. If the casualties could be kept to a minimum, then he would be happy.

Bayonetta had rolled her eyes when Corrin asked because she knew he was being too nice. If they hurt her, she should be allowed to attack them in self-defense. Corrin loved his potential older sisters too much for them to be harmed. Since Corrin asked nicely, she really couldn't say no to the Izumo prince.

The two made it into the underground arena carrying the items they would need on their journey. Corrin was glad that he was able to hide some things, but truth be told, he probably wouldn't need anything but his sword, dragonstone and his staff. Cloud in comparison lost a lot of his items when Bayonetta warped them, but he would be fine as long as he had his buster sword.

The two needed to hurry along to get as far away from Bayonetta's shop as possible, but Cloud noted Corrin seemed too excited despite what had just occurred.

"…You seem happy." Cloud spoke up causing the two to stop running. "Why?"

"Oh…I do…I mean…that should be a good thing but…" Corrin noticed Cloud was giving him a cold stare. The silver haired prince didn't want Cloud to think he wasn't fazed by the situation and decided to explain to him what was on his mind. "…So…I…never was able to leave Izumo. Like…mother loved me…I know she did…yet…she never allowed me to leave the borders of Izumo even to visit my potential siblings in Hoshido or Nohr. The few times I left to try to gather some herbs…I got a terrible scolding from mother's retainers and Gunter for going out alone. I know I am the only heir to the throne but…"

"You're from an endangered species. Do you really think it's a surprise they kept you caged in the city?"

"Now that Bayonetta told me, it really…isn't a surprise…but I didn't know I was a dragon all of my life. I just thought my ears were caused from some birth defect on my father's side of the family…but I was told that I would be told everything once I became the king." Corrin sighed when he said this. "I may have the crown now, but I don't want to return until I find out who killed my mother. I can't let the killer be running free waiting for a chance to strike at me next…"

"You're scared of something else though, and I bet it concerns the inevitable war between Hoshido and Nohr."

Corrin nodded his head as a response. Another thing came to mind too. He didn't want to marry Macbeth in order to avoid the war, so he was fine running away. Cloud would just have to take this answer to heart.

Their conversation would come to a close when suddenly trembling was occurring around them. Cloud's eyes widened in horror recalling why he didn't like going through this underground tunnel in the first place.

"Corrin, we need to leave. The tunnel is going to cave in if we don't hurry."

"W-What?!"

Cloud didn't waste any time grabbing Corrin's hand and rushing through the tunnel. Cloud didn't bother looking back to see what might have been the cause of the potential cave in. The silver haired prince yelped at how hard the blond was gripping his hand, but forced himself to keep up. Corrin had looked behind them to see what was behind them, but everything was starting to cave in. If they stopped running, then they would be buried underground and left for dead.

Corrin let out a pathetic cry that caused Cloud to stop. The stalagmite had started falling from the ceiling and one of them ended up clipping at Corrin's cape. Cloud cursed his bad luck as he had lost his momentum in an attempt to push the stalagmite away from the silver haired prince.

By the time Cloud had pulled Corrin out, the mud that was starting to fall from the ceiling had burst from all sides of the tunnel. Instead of being buried, the two were fortunate to be carried by it. It was indeed a faster way of getting out of the tunnel, but Cloud made sure not to lose sight of the prince and grabbed a hold of his hand again. This would probably be a good thing when they ended up reaching the end of the tunnel and they were forced out.

"WOW!" Corrin exclaimed as he finally got to see the outside of Izumo. Because it was closer to the Nohr side, he could see the sunrise. His eyes sparkled at the sight. If he looked behind him, he would see the walls of Izumo that barricaded the area. Bayonetta's shop was near the outskirts of Izumo, so chances were that Corrin wouldn't be able to see it from here. All he knew was he was so glad to finally get out of Izumo.

"C-Corrin…can you…turn into a dragon now?" Cloud suddenly asked with a shaky voice.

"Huh? Why?"

"We're…on high ground…and we're going to be falling back down…like right about now…"

By the time Corrin realized they were in midair, they were already falling down. Corrin didn't know how to transform and just ended up screaming and clinging to Cloud who was now cursing up a storm. Because of the silver haired prince, they were going to suffer from some major injuries by the time they landed and it would be Corrin's fault unless he transformed. Since he wasn't going to transform, they were screwed…

* * *

Bayonetta impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for Asama to finish his "exorcism". The inquisitors of the present were not the same as the inquisitors of the past. In the past, they would make sure to torment the witch to the point of a breakdown. Because all witches were said to have been wiped out, there hasn't been anyone trained in this profession. Asama was just a fraud to the witch only because he wasn't doing what she expected him to.

 _No stripping me of my powers…no stripping me of my clothes. What is this man?_ Bayonetta thought to herself as she let out a small yawn. "Are you done playing games? I have a job to do if you have nothing of importance to show."

Asama groaned seeing his magic was of no use. Granted, he didn't put that much effort into his magic, but he would think that his exorcism powers would be enough to deal with a witch. This one was extremely powerful, so it looked like he was just messing around though, and he might as well been.

Hinoka waited patiently for Asama to at least expose Bayonetta for what she was fairly. However, the probability decreased the longer time went on and the witch did not flinch from his spell. She knew Asama was good, but perhaps the non-violent approach wasn't going to work after all. Camilla would end up stepping in as a result.

"…Looks like we're going to have to resort to brute force after all." Camilla said with a wicked smile as she had her retainers near her waiting for Hinoka to mess up. "Bayonetta is it? You are to be arrested for interrogation purposes."

Bayonetta honestly wasn't surprised. She let out a yawn as a response. "Oh? I wonder why. I mean…I messed with your older brother one time too many. I guess I'm a bad influence on him."

Luna snarled as a response to Bayonetta's mockery. Camilla wasn't the type to be affected by someone insulting her. She restrained herself from going over and smacking the witch across the cheek. She did need to learn her place after all.

"Oh, even if you aren't a witch, you still have reasons that allow it in our legal right to arrest you." The purple haired Revenant Rider started as she began listed reasons why it was so easy to place her under arrest. "First, there have been reports that you have been helping the thief Cloud Strife on multiple occasions. Reports have said you have allowed a man with a buster sword into your house late at night. You already met Prince Marx who has been looking for the man. You have covered for him constantly." Camilla smirked seeing Bayonetta roll her eyes. "It's almost like you're in a secret affair with him."

"The only clouds I see are the ones in the sky." Bayonetta told herself more than the purple haired princess. "…I cannot keep track of the names of all of my customers. I think I would have remembered someone who has two names."

"It's not just this Cloud Strife person. I know you have encountered Prince Corrin. Instead of reporting to someone of his whereabouts, you assisted Cloud Strife into allowing the kidnapping to happen. For that, I cannot allow you to walk around for free until I get answers from you."

"What a pity." Was Bayonetta's response as she ended up holding her hands up in the air. "Fine, I'll let you tie me up and take me to jail, but you have to ask yourself if you'll be able to contain me for long. My lips are sealed and I might not have the answers you are looking for anyway."

"Why you…" Luna hissed before Camilla stepped in front of her retainer. "Lady Camilla…"

"No worries. Even if the witch doesn't talk, she will still have her uses."

It wasn't the retainers that ended up apprehending Bayonetta. The Nohrian soldiers were waiting outside of her shop and were ordered to come in. Bayonetta did not resist like told by Corrin. If she wanted to, she could slaughter everyone in the room and then chase after Corrin and Cloud. For now, she was willing to play the game of the sarcastic captive if it meant giving the two males more time to retreat to a safer area out of reach for both Hoshido and Nohr. If all went well, she had a feeling a certain someone would pick them up.

As the soldiers led Bayonetta away, Camilla's expression darkened. There was still a lack of evidence to incriminate Bayonetta of anything. It would not stop Nohr from executing people like her, but the last thing they wanted was to kill someone who did have information on their target. Camilla sighed knowing full well that they would need to tread carefully. The witch clan may have been killed off many years ago, but it didn't mean the remaining ones weren't dangerous.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 5517 words.**

 **Li: I'm still trying to picture Izumo being on high ground.**

 **Me: Well, there's obvious something below it. Want to know what is below Izumo? You'll have to wait and see. Notes!**

 **1\. After chapter 6, more Smash characters will start popping up and getting mentioned. This is still a Smash fic, but the beginning had to be a Fire Emblem Fates fic with Smash characters. Remember, I wrote that the protagonist was Cloud, but he could very well be the supporting protagonist given Corrin and Bayonetta have an overall larger role in the plot (as you'll find out with Bayonetta in later chapters).**

 **So the question is how did Link die? I'm saying it right now. Smashers are not safe from getting killed in this story either.**

 **2\. From the way I write it, it's obvious there were two wars that occurred. The one Bayonetta is talking about is from eighteen years ago when Corrin was born. For now, I'm leaving you readers in the dark about the war that Cloud was involved in but it was on the same continent as the one the witches got involved in and exterminated. In general, I will go into detail about the war that wiped out all the witches later on, but the question is if people would like a separate story of Bayonetta's backstory entirely or should I condense it into two-three chapters (because it would end up overlapping).**

 **3\. Notice how Corrin calls Bayonetta by that name instead of giving her the nickname "Cere" like in my Smash universe. That's going to change later but Bayonetta doesn't trust Corrin with her real name yet. I think only Cloud knows her name but he calls her by what she wants to be called.**

 **4\. Even though Corrin wasn't kidnapped in this AU, he still ended up being caged in his home in some shape or form. In this case, Corrin remained isolated for two reasons. Because he focused so much on perfecting his healing skills, he needed to concentrate and lost a lot of time interacting with people. Then there is the fact that he wasn't allowed to show his face to people because Mikoto worried they would react if they examined him and found out he was a dragon. Remember, the dragons are supposed to be extinct after what happened with the first war. People seemed to not realize that Mikoto's husband was a dragon, so it might cause more problems if people found out that the next king was a dragon.**

 **5\. If it wasn't apparent already, Barret, Tifa and Flora were most likely arrested after Bayonetta teleported only Cloud and Corrin away. Bayonetta getting arrested means that she will most likely track them and possibly use her powers to get them away too, but she's a wild card at the moment, so you readers will have to wait and see.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	8. The Kingdom Below

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon and more to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Fire Emblem Fates spoilers, sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 8: The Kingdom Below

* * *

So Corrin wasn't completely stupid. He did have his dragonstone with him and somehow managed to activate it at the last minute in order to save him and Cloud from having a nasty landing. Cloud was still not used to the appearance Corrin took when he morphed into a dragon and hesitated to grab onto his neck at that moment. Corrin had to be the one to fly under him so Cloud would land on his back and fly on down. He ended up crash landing into a nearby tree below Izumo causing him to let out a pathetic dragon growl as a result.

" **OWW!"** Corrin whined. **"THAT HURT!"**

"…You need to work on your dragon flying…" Cloud complained as he quickly got off of him. "Uh…I feel sick."

Corrin was concerned for the older swordsman. Quickly, he changed back to his human form to check up on him. "What's wrong?"

"I…I'm not good in the air…" Cloud admitted. "I'm not good in vehicles in general…"

"Huh? Vehicles? What's that?"

"…I forgot you don't know."

"Know what?"

"…Forget it. Let's just get out of here."

Cloud wanted to force things, so of course things would go to hell immediately when he said that. He should not have had any injury from that fall, but he felt his leg start to act up. The blond tried to hide the pain, but failed miserably. It didn't help that Corrin had no sense of direction and ended up getting them lost. Cloud couldn't really blame him. Corrin had no idea how to navigate the woods so it should have been his job to lead the way. The problem was how he didn't leave any markers the last time he's been through here, so they were both screwed.

"Cloud, what's wrong with your leg?"

"It's nothing…we need to keep going."

"No. I'm going to treat your leg before we go anywhere else. I mean…we're lost in the woods…aren't we?"

Cloud snarled as he slapped Corrin's hand away when he tried to get him to sit on the nearby rock.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"We don't have all day."

"I know for a fact that we won't be going far if you keep trying to force your leg to walk."

"It's fine!"

Cloud was getting really annoyed with the prince and the journey just started. Granted, he wasn't expecting an injury so early. Maybe he could just ask Corrin to turn into a dragon and allow him to rest on his back, but he was still wary of Corrin's dragon form. The longer they wasted time, the more likely the soldiers would find out where they were and pursue them.

"Why are you so stubborn? We need to treat you now!" Corrin shouted.

"And let the soldiers catch up with us? Unlikely."

"If you're injured, you'll do a terrible job protecting me! Let me see your injury, _**now**_!"

Corrin wouldn't get the chance to check up on Cloud's injury. The Izumo prince's point would be proven immediately when they were suddenly ambushed by soldiers. Cloud cursed his luck as he ordered Corrin to get behind him despite his injury. The silver haired prince gasped seeing the soldiers. He noticed that they weren't from Hoshido, Nohr or Izumo. In fact, their armor was a light silver color and the soldiers seemed to consist of a combination of fighters from Hoshido, Nohr and Izumo. It was…odd to say the least.

"Halt your attack!"

The soldiers did surround the two, but their leader made himself known almost immediately. Corrin felt his cheeks blush at the man if only because he found him attractive. Cloud would roll his eyes if he saw the expression Corrin made.

The man looked to be a dragon like Corrin. It was difficult to determine this though. However, he was intimidating to look at. The man was tall and wore scaly armor that covered him from head to toe. He had a helmet to cover his eyes and most of his face in general, but the design alone should have been a dead giveaway that he was a dragon.

"I suggest you two come with me quietly if you want to live." The man spoke harshly. "Our leader would like to see you in person."

The man was talking to Corrin. The Izumo prince realized this and his eyes widened.

"Huh?! Me?!" Corrin asked.

"Yes, now hurry along. You do not want to keep him waiting."

Cloud didn't trust the man, but the soldiers were ready to kill him if he even considered moving. "How are we certain we can trust you?"

"You don't have a choice. Unless you want to remain lost in the woods I suggest you follow."

The blond snarled as he was forced to comply. He put his sword away, but flinched when he felt his knee nearly give up on him. Corrin gave him a worried look as a response.

"Prince of Izumo, you can turn into a dragon. Do yourself a favor and help your bodyguard. He will only slow us down."

"What did you say?" Cloud asked darkly but was surprised when Corrin quickly turned into a dragon. "Corrin…"

 **"PLEASE GET ON MY BACK. I DO NOT WANT YOU ARGUING WITH ME."**

Cloud had to surrender at this point. He really was the mercy of these people without Bayonetta around to hate him. He hated to think he depended on her to get out of situations like these too much.

* * *

Cloud wondered if everyone hated him at this point. It did not take long for these soldiers to lead the two away from the normal forest area. Somewhere in the woods, there was a cave that leads underground. That was exactly what Cloud needed. More underground tunnels that could possibly cave in. This cave would lead to a secret area that Cloud had never seen before. He was surprised with all of his traveling that he would miss a place like this when he was with Bayonetta.

Of course, the minute he stepped foot into this secret society, the soldiers had attempted to turn their weapons on Cloud for the sole reason of people a human.

" **DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM!"** Corrin hissed causing the soldiers to jump back. **"I WILL HURT YOU IF YOU DO!"**

The leader of the soldiers chuckled at Corrin's vigor and ordered his men to stand down again.

"But Sir Volga…"

"The princess would hate to see me anger her twin like this. Stand down for now and continue to watch over them."

Corrin was very confused. **"TWIN?!"**

"You'll find out very soon. She is in front of you after all."

The knight known as Volga ordered his soldiers to spread out and guard the entrance. He gave Corrin free reign to roam around the secret society that was hidden in the forest below Izumo. Corrin couldn't believe his eyes. It was a very beautiful place with trees growing everywhere. There was an underground lake that allowed for vegetation to grow. Men, women and children from all kingdoms seemed to have gathered here and were making a living. They did not have a care in the world when they were isolated from the outside world.

" **CLOUD, I'LL FIND A PLACE FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN AND TREAT YOU. JUST BARE WITH ME."**

"I don't need to be treated like your patient. This is nothing…" Cloud murmured to himself. "You need to revert back to your human form before you scare someone with that face."

" **REALLY? NO ONE SEEMS STARTLED."**

"That's because we look the same when we transform." A new, feminine voice stated the obvious. "But I agree. You need to revert back to your human form Corrin."

Corrin was confused at this point. Who was talking to him?

"It would be way easier if you were a human so you can actually see what's in front of you. You really think my voice is coming from the trees?"

Cloud had to point to in the direction where the voice was so Corrin didn't look like an idiot. Corrin couldn't see the expression the mercenary had when he saw who was speaking to the prince and for good reasons. Corrin immediately shifted back to his human form when Cloud got off his back. The dragon prince ended up placing his hands over his mouth surprised at who he was looking at.

It was like looking into a mirror for Corrin. The person in front of him looked exactly like him…with the major difference being that this person was a girl. She had medium length hair, red eyes and pointy ears like him. Her outfit was near identical to his own and she bore the same sword that Corrin was carrying now. She was also wearing her dragonstone as a hairpin. She smirked seeing how confused her male counterpart was.

"So the witch heeded my warning after all and she pointed you back to me…how kind of her."

"I thought you asked her to make a dragonstone. Why would you when you had it on you the entire time?" Cloud asked rather annoyed with the girl in front of him.

"Oh! You're the witch's boyfriend that was with her that night. Glad to see you escorted my brother back to me. I thank you for that."

"That was not the intention." Cloud began. "I was forced to go with him and we had no intention of stopping by in this kingdom of..."

"Valla. This is the Kingdom of Valla." The girl finished.

"W-Who are you?" Corrin had to ask. "Why do you keep calling me brother? I thought I was an only child…"

The girl smiled when she glanced at the silver haired prince. "My name is Kamui. I am your older twin sister."

"W-What?! O-Older twin?!"

"Don't act all surprised…or did mother tell you…?"

Corrin shook his head. "Mother's dead…"

Kamui's eyes widened before falling silent. "O-Oh…so she died before she told you about me and father…how…unfortunate."

Corrin would not stop gasping whenever Kamui said something he didn't know about. "Father?! That bastard is still alive?!"

"…I feel like we need a family meeting right now. You really seem to be locked out of the loop to who I am as well as your heritage."

Corrin knew that he didn't know everything, but all of this information was so sudden. First, he learned the hard way he had dragon blood in his veins that allowed him to transform into a weird looking dragon. Next, he found out there was a hidden kingdom near Izumo called Valla. Now, he was finding out that he had a twin sister and that the father he hated for eighteen years was still alive.

Kamui urged the both of them to follow after her. Before that, she had ordered Volga to fetch a woman named Azura. Volga snickered as he obeyed to her annoyance.

"I should also introduce you to my retainers." Kamui continued. "They are outside of the Dragon's Den."

* * *

Corrin didn't know what to expect when she lead them to the Dragon's Den. Valla was a kingdom with lots of water so it wasn't a surprise how the Dragon's Den was this huge dragon statue with its mouth open. Water was running from the mouth into the stream. Was there a waterfall inside the Dragon's Den?

"Before we go in, let me introduce you to my retainers." Kamui began. "You have a maid whose name is Flora, correct?"

"Y-Yes…but how did you…"

"My maid is over there at my house right next to the Dragon's Den. Her name is Felicia. She's the younger twin sister to Flora."

Corrin looked over to the clumsy maid who tried her best to hang the clothes of her princess up…only to trip over her own feet and land face first into the nearby bucket. She let out a pathetic cry as she begged someone to help her. A young, attractive butler had to come out of the house, scold her for her clumsiness and help her out of the situation. This was only made worse when he saw that Kamui was watching. The princess giggled at her maid messing up again.

"If it wasn't obvious, Felicia is really clumsy."

"…She's nothing like that other maid." Cloud commented. "The one with the blue hair was calm and reserved."

"Flora is also perfect at housework." Corrin added. "She always cleaned up after me…" His voice trailed off as his mind started to wonder if Flora was okay.

"I guess you lucked out." Kamui joked. "Fortunately, Gunter had sent Joker to take care of me as well."

"Joker?"

"He is the butler over there. He was an apprentice of Gunter but was sent away to grow up and serve me while I remained in Valla. He unfortunately has to take care of Felicia as well as me, but I have been able to manage with him…even if he's a little insufferable." Kamui paused as if something came to mind. "I wonder how Gunter is doing…"

Again, Corrin shook his head slowly. Kamui was starting to realize that so much had changed in such a short amount of time.

"Gunter…has passed on." Corrin answered. "He died…the night after my mother. I am here because of his murder."

"What happened to mother?"

"…I would rather speak about this to my father. He didn't come to help us after the problems we faced for eighteen years. He needs to know."

"Oh gods…" Kamui muttered. "Is Flora dead or…"

"No…she's alive…I think…" Corrin muttered unsurely. However, he forced himself to not give up hope. "No, she's not dead. I know she's alive. When I resolve some issues, I'll be sure to make sure to check up on her."

Kamui could only hope that no one else she knew was dead. She needed to show him their father right now. She saw that Corrin was on a time limit of sorts, so hopefully the visit will be worth it.

* * *

Corrin didn't look at himself in the mirror when he saw how hideous his dragon form could be. He did not know what to expect when he saw his father who was the dragon in the family. Cloud had a nagging feeling that he would be faced with something worse than what Corrin was.

The trio needed to walk down the small river that was in the cave. Sure enough, there was a waterfall, but there was something else at the end of the cave besides the waterfall. Cloud wanted to turn tail and run back to the entrance the minute he saw a huge hand creeping out of a smaller cave within the already big one.

A huge dragon was waiting…almost like he was stuck in the wall. The dragon had an incredibly long neck and hid behind a mask. Cloud noted to himself that there was something sinister underneath the mask, but it was better to look at the creepy mask than what was probably behind it. Corrin froze seeing the dragon before him.

"Father, Corrin has come back to us." Kamui spoke nonchalantly.

 **"OH? MY SON HAS RETURNED?"** The dragon's voice boomed. **"MAY I SEE HIM?"  
**  
Corrin felt like a massive power was holding him down. It prevented him from moving much less speaking. His throat was suddenly dry as he was stunned by the dragon before him.

"He's right here." Kamui answered as she nudged her brother's shoulder. "Don't be shy now."

"U-Umm…I…uh…" Corrin was at a loss for words.

"Hmm…what's the matter Corrin?"

"…Is that really…my father…" Corrin muttered. "He's so…big…"

"Yes. That is our father Anankos in his dragon form. Father, I think you should revert back to your human form. Don't worry. The continent is not going to fall if you are in your human form for a few minutes."

The dragon could be heard growling as he asked everyone to avert their eyes. A bright light engulfed the room causing everyone to shield their eyes from the light. Once the light was gone, the big dragon was gone and what replaced the dragon was a fragile man hiding behind a hood. Kamui rolled her eyes as a response.

"You can't really talk to Corrin if you're going to be all timid father…"

"B-But…there's a human in here…" Anankos mumbled as he stared at Cloud.

"What? I haven't said or done anything." Cloud told him. "If you want me to leave I can…"

"No…stay here human." Anankos spoke. "You are my son's bodyguard, so it is alright with me."

"You got it all wrong. I'm just…" Cloud tried to explain himself but was cut off completely.

"Father, please remove the hood." Kamui repeated to the dragon's annoyance.

Anankos had no choice but to obey his daughter. Corrin was surprisingly able to calm down once he saw who his father was when the hood was removed. People had said that Corrin was the spitting image of his mother despite not sharing the same hair color or eyes as her. People must have referred to his personality. Looking at Anankos, Corrin could safely say he knew where he got his genes from. Alas, it would not explain why his hair color was different from Anankos. Anankos had medium length light blue hair, red eyes and pointy ears. He also had an odd ruby gem on his forehead. Corrin was certain he didn't have a gem on his forehead and Kamui didn't seem to have one either.

"L-Let me introduce myself again. I am Anankos, the Invisible Dragon who formed the Invisible Continent. I used to hold the title as the Water Dragon of Life, but that title has been passed down to my children. Now, I am a sickly dragon that cannot leave Valla. Should anything happen to me, Valla will fall as well as the rest of the continent."

Corrin was lost. He had every right to be. "Invisible Continent?"

"That's the name of Hoshido, Nohr, Izumo, apparently Valla and all the other towns that are on this block of land." Cloud tried to explain. "It's a continent that has surrounded itself in mist and is nearly impossible to find. To locate it from other continents, one must have an amazing ship with a wonderful captain who is a terrific navigator. If you're not prepared, you could very well die at sea while searching for land."

"Yes…that's correct." Anankos stated. "I admit that with age, my power has weakened…therefore it is easier to find the Invisible Continent. Unless my children take over, then it will no longer be invisible to the naked eye."

Corrin wanted to ask more about the continent, but one thing plagued his mind and he decided to talk about it. Granted, the dragon prince thought he should have been angrier with his father after eighteen years of his mother's suffering, but he found it difficult to get angry with the rather timid man in front of him.

"Why did you abandon mother?! She waited eighteen years for you! She was sought after by the King of Hoshido and the King of Nohr! She held out for you waiting for your return! But in the end…she was murdered the day she was supposed to choose a new husband…what do you say to that?!"

Anankos' eyes widened as did Kamui's. Now that it was in the open that Mikoto was murdered, Anankos needed to act. However…

"So…she was killed after all." Anankos lamented. "I was unable to protect her…"

"Who killed mother?" Kamui asked darkly. "I'll murder the son of a bitch with my own bare hands!"

"…I don't know." Corrin answered. "I was sent by Bayonetta to search for clues, but the first thing I needed to learn was about my heritage. I guess she really was aware of Valla and indirectly sent me here…but…from the sounds of it…it doesn't seem like you two know who could have possibly killed mother."

"Of course not! Anankos can't leave Valla without the entire continent collapsing without his powers!" Kamui exclaimed. "As for me…I rarely venture out of Valla. I only left a few days ago to warn that witch that your life was in danger."

"How did you know?"

"…A seer had somehow managed to find this place." Kamui clarified. "He kind of looked like your bodyguard."

Cloud was confused by this. "How so?"

"Well…he had blond hair and carried a big sword on his back…"

"That doesn't mean that we look alike." Cloud hissed. "Did you catch his name?"

"He said his name was Sir Shulk Soss." Kamui answered. "It's odd for someone to have two names."

Cloud's eyes widened. _So…people from the continent are finally arriving here. Are they here to save us or…_

"Cloud?"

"…Hmm…"

Corrin still wanted answers from Anankos. The ill dragon would soon give him the answer he wanted.

"To answer your question, Corrin…I did not leave your mother by choice." He began. "Eighteen years ago, your mother gave birth to twins. That was you and Kamui. However…there was a war eighteen years ago that threatened the entire stability of the continent. I could not stay by Mikoto's side and rule with her in Izumo. I had to return underground. However…I learned quickly that because of the birth of my children that the continent would remain unstable unless one of the twins was taken with me."

Kamui frowned when he said this.

"I was given a choice which child I was allowed to take with me and raise in Valla knowing full well that I might never see my wife or my other child again. My decision…was based on a prophecy given to me by one of the witches that was still alive before she was slaughtered with the rest of them. She told me that one of my children would become a powerful warrior. The other would become a powerful healer if left with my wife. The witch told me explained that the elder twin should be kept with me and the younger twin should be given to my wife. She then suggested that the retainers would be split. The more competent retainers according to her would stay with my wife while I took the other two."

"Felicia and Joker aren't incompetent." Kamui had to remind her father. "Felicia is a wonderful fighter and Joker is a wonderful butler and a great fighter. I could not have become a strong warrior without them."

"…Meanwhile…I had Gunter and Flora…" Corrin mumbled to himself. "But Gunter refused to train me…"

"Corrin…you hate violence, do you not?"

"Of course I hate violence! I hate fighting and bloodshed! It's all pointless!"

"…I see…you already understand that your hands are meant for healing. That is the reason why your mother and Gunter made sure to keep you out of fights. In return, I assume you mastered the arts of healing."

Corrin nodded his head. "For the most part…yes. The only thing I cannot do is revive someone from the dead…but that's impossible. No one is that strong enough to do that."

"With you my son…it might be possible." Anankos said in almost a whisper. "But you see…my role as a protector of the continent came first. I was foolish to think I would be able to be with my one true love and continue to be the guardian of the Invisible Continent. I know I have hurt Mikoto and you by my selfishness…but believe me when I say that I never stopped thinking about you two."

Corrin was in disbelief. "But…couldn't you have given us any hints that you were still alive and if we could visit you or anything?! Mother wept for you for eighteen years and she still died with a broken heart!"

"I…I am so sorry…" Anankos apologized. His face became pale thinking that his son wasn't going to forgive him for his actions. "As the Invisible Dragon, I have to maintain stability of the continent. I cannot allow Hoshido, Nohr, Izumo or Valla to fall because of my selfishness. Please understand Corrin…"

Corrin wanted to cry right there, but he refused to shed tears in front of this dragon who was supposed to be his father. After hating him all of his life, Anankos just expected his son to forgive him. How was Corrin supposed to react to that?

While Corrin continued to look for a response to his apologetic father, Cloud was lost in thought for a different reason. He now knew that if something were to happen to Anankos and by proxy his children, then the Invisible Continent would cease to exist. Cloud expected that the upper regions of the continent would sink into the chasm that Valla technically was in and vanish. If that were to happen, then there would be few survivors.

 _Am I now on a time limit?_ Cloud asked himself. _Bayonetta wanted something terrible to happen to this continent because of the witch hunt._ _What if it wasn't the war between Hoshido and Nohr she wanted, but the destruction of the entire continent? What would she benefit from killing these dragons? Witches got along with dragons in the past so…_

Cloud was thinking too much into it. He just needed to reunite with Bayonetta again and get clarification from her. For now, he was forced to watch Corrin dismiss himself as his answer to his father and run off with tears in his eyes. Kamui wanted to go after her twin, but Anankos told her that it wasn't worth it. The blond was forced to stay behind only because Anankos had questions about him. How much information would he be giving this dragon? Hopefully not too much…

* * *

Bayonetta only allowed herself to be captured to see where the other captives were and where she would be held. She was impressed they didn't take her into the dungeons of Nohr. Instead, they decided to throw her into the dungeon of Izumo where she would be tried by the Izumo laws should they finally get to it. Bayonetta honestly didn't think anything would happen to her given Izumo was a neutral country that didn't want to deal with violence. However, because Hoshido and Nohr were occupying the area in order to search for Mikoto's killer as well as to arrest Cloud, they were free to do whatever they wanted.

Tifa, Barret and Flora were not killed as Bayonetta expected. They were all taken into different parts of the dungeon where they would be interrogated. The Umbra Witch was isolated from all of them and would be neglected due to her status as a witch. She groaned realizing how bored she was already. The raven haired witch really expected the guards to do something to her, but they avoided eye contact. She was too scary for them despite being chained up against the wall.

Despite being isolated from the other prisoners, Bayonetta could still hear what was going on in the cell behind her. Flora was on the other side and she was being abused by Macbeth.

"I will not ask this question again! What do you know about Cloud Strife?!" The evil sorcerer could be heard asking before a sound of a whip could be heard followed by a pathetic cry.

"I…don't know…I really don't…" Flora mumbled weakly before the whip hit her against the chest again. Macbeth's abuse had caused her maid uniform to be torn up from the whip leaving part of her skin exposed. "I don't know him…"

"Liar! You were cooperating with that killer to kidnap the prince and allow him to escape. You were also cooperating with that witch as well."

"No…I don't even know them…"

Flora was met with another whip across the cheek causing her to cry out in pain. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she attempted to avoid eye contact with her.

Bayonetta let out a yawn as a result of Macbeth's threats.

"You know, you're really bad at handling women. I am not impressed." Bayonetta mocked from the other side of the cell. "You are better off asking nicely, but I doubt the maid will give you the information you want to hear."

"Silence!" Macbeth snarled as he smacked Flora one more time before he decided to abandon her. He would walk out of her cell and go into Bayonetta's just to shut her up. The guards freaked out as they moved out of the way of the angry tactician. "One of you will break eventually. One of you will tell me where the prince went."

"You are really obsessed with that prince." Bayonetta continued to mock even when Macbeth was getting the whip ready for her. "I must say you're not attractive on the eye. I could see why the prince would avoid you like the plague."

"You witch…" He hissed as he prepared to hit the Umbra Witch. However, he stopped himself realizing quickly he wasn't going to get a reaction from her no matter how many times he hit her. She had willingly let herself being arrested. Bayonetta was so confident that they wouldn't get information out of her through normal means that she knew she was wasting his time. "I would wipe that smug look off your face. When I find your boyfriend and the prince, then I'll happily put you both at the guillotine for daring to harm my sweet prince."

"Charming to know everyone assumes that this man named Cloud is my boyfriend. You humans really love throwing accusations around."

How could Macbeth get a reaction out of the Umbra Witch? Even just one so she would flinch and think before speaking…

Bayonetta wasn't really pleased when Macbeth decided to grab her hair and yank it. Her long hair took forever to fix and the Nohr tactician grabbing it with his filthy hands would mean she would have to wash it for hours just to get his stench off. She glared at him as a response especially when she was chained to the wall.

"If I were you, I would shut that pretty mouth of yours." Macbeth threatened when he pulled her hair and forced her head to move so he could whisper these threats in her ear. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"I think you wouldn't like me when _**I'm**_ angry." Bayonetta retorted darkly. "Men like you have no tact. I wonder if you plan on doing this to the prince should you ever find him."

Macbeth just chuckled as a response causing Bayonetta to make a disgusted sound.

"Never. I have been nothing but gentle to the prince. He is the one I will marry after all." Macbeth responded as he released his grip on her hair. "Besides, why would I need to threaten the sweet prince when I can threaten you with anything and everything?"

"I'm a witch." Bayonetta reminded him. "Use your intelligent brain for a moment and realize that I have been alive for a long time. You think your torture methods that have been used in the past will get me to talk now? I wasn't talking then and it isn't going to change now."

Bayonetta was filled with such confidence that Macbeth ended up dropping his façade because of it. The whip was used to smack her across her outfit that ended up revealing the skin in between her breasts. The Umbra Witch was more surprised than anything that he would actually hit her. He was only going to hit her in that area for a few times to get a reaction from her. Sure enough, she was giving him a menacing glare, but her demeanor changed ever so slightly.

"Filthy bitch." Macbeth hissed. "You are more trouble than you are worth."

Macbeth suddenly had a great idea. He started to extend his hand toward her where he smacked up in order to remove that portion of the outfit. For a moment, Bayonetta forgot to breath, but she had to remember that Macbeth wouldn't be able to get away with certain things. After all, there were other people in the dungeon trying to interrogate the other prisoners.

"Macbeth, what are you doing?"

Camilla was an angel in disguise. Bayonetta didn't realize she sighed in relief when Macbeth was forced to pull away and stare at the purple haired princess.

"Trying to get information out of her."

"Oh? I don't think molesting is a way to get information out of anyone." Camilla reminded him with a dark smile. "Especially in my presence."

Macbeth flinched when he saw Camilla take her axe out.

"Macbeth, you need to remember that you are not the only person interrogating these suspects. Hinoka and I brought Bayonetta in and we will handle her accordingly. You also have to be searching for the prince. Do not expect us to do your dirty work. After all, you were the last one who saw my precious prince before he was taken away from us."

The evil tactician snarled at Camilla's words.

"Y-You should be the one getting back to work! I at least was trying to get important information!"

"Oh? I won't stop you from doing that. However, you will not assault a woman in my precious. Understood?"

"Grr…treating the prisoners better than you treat your father's tactician."

"Also, Macbeth…if you think of doing this to Corrin when we find him, do not be surprised if you find yourself castrated by yours truly. Wouldn't want the rest of your manhood chopped away…right?"

Macbeth let out a girly scream as he immediately made his way out of Bayonetta's dungeon. He would return later to torment the ladies for information on Corrin, but for now, he needed to run away from Camilla. The Norhian princess sighed before murmuring under her breath how much of a scumbag Macbeth was when he had the upper hand.

"You need to watch your tongue here." Camilla warned the Umbra Witch who had regained her composure almost immediately after Macbeth left. "You are powerful. I can tell. You're biding your time waiting for the guards to let their guard down around you. It will happen because you're that type of person, but please do not think you can act like that around me or Macbeth. Macbeth is scum…but I think you know that already."

"I don't need you to lecture me on what I can clearly see." Bayonetta hissed. "He has no class."

"Of course he doesn't. He was born and raised as a spoiled brat that had everything given to him including his position as tactician." Camilla told her. "Leo deserves the spot as father's tactician more than him."

"I don't care much about your family problem as much as I am slightly concerned for the prince's maid. You are going to treat her, right?"

Camilla gave her a look of suspicion as a response. Bayonetta needed to clarify what she meant by that.

"The maid has no connection to me or Cloud."

"Oh…so you do know who Cloud is."

"The only clouds I know are in the sky."

Bayonetta smirked. She was just going to keep repeating that knowing full well that everyone was expecting her to say something different whenever someone asked about her relationship with Cloud.

"But yes…I know how much Corrin loves Flora. I will be asking Elise to be treating her very soon. However, I need to finish interrogating that pretty bartender over there. At least I know she knows Cloud."

"That she does. She is very close with Cloud." Bayonetta said. There was a hint of spite in her tone when she said that.

"You know, you can't hide your connection with Cloud forever. I will just have to ask the bartender what your relationship with Cloud is and I will be able to evaluate how useful you will be to us. Now if you will excuse me…"

The Umbra Witch was glad when Camilla finally left her cell. Now she was finally given time to herself. The only sound she would be hearing is the sobbing on the other side of the cell coming from the maid and Camilla's voice speaking to Tifa. Bayonetta felt bad for Tifa. Seeing the treatment that Flora was being given despite being loyal to Corrin, she couldn't imagine what would happen to Tifa who had a clear connection to Cloud. At the same time, she didn't feel sorry for her and Bayonetta didn't understand why she couldn't give enough sympathy. When she spoke to Cloud, she always pushed for him to do something with her, but at a time like this where her life was on the line, she could care less. Perhaps Bayonetta's plans were simply more important than the life of a person important to Cloud.

 _I need to keep biding my time. I always had in the past. Hopefully I'm not waiting too long._

* * *

While Izumo was still in a state of chaos now that they had lost their lead concerning Cloud, it was easy for newcomers to blend into the chaotic crowd and watch the events unfold.

"So, this is Izumo?"

"Yes. It is gloomier now than it has ever been. The queen is dead and the prince is missing. If order is not restored soon, then conflict between fractions will start."

"So it seems."

"Master Shulk, there is no time to save the kingdom. We got to find to find the prince fast! Sir Rinku is going to be waiting at the dock until we return with the prince and the princess!"

The person known as Shulk groaned at the person reminding him of the obvious. "…Ava…please remember to address me as Sir Shulk. It's weird when you keep referring to me as your master…"

"But you are my master! I wouldn't be here without you, Robin, Reflet and Daraen!"

"I see this one has a huge dedication toward you."

Shulk shook his head at those sarcastic words. He just wanted to find his targets and get this over with. The sooner the mission was finished, the sooner he could return home. He looked over to the person who had asked him to come along on this journey in order to search for the prince and princess of Izumo.

"Your Highness, I suggest we find a hotel and lay low. We might be approached by the soldiers if they see us walking around so freely. I am ashamed that I stand out too much, but I know you must hide your ears."

"Yes…I know. There is a hotel nearby that will allow us to stay because of the chaos. We will be safe…for now. We will also…be encountering the prince and princess very soon. We must be patient."

Shulk sighed again at that word. If he had to hear it one more time from this girl, he would probably quit the mission and run back to Rinku. As the man promising to escort her highness though, he must keep his head high. As a result, he nodded his head in agreement and followed after her only after the other two people in the party trailed after her. His eyes glowed at that very moment as he foresaw some things he needed to be weary of in order to avoid conflict in Izumo.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 7989 words.**

 **Li: And the Smashers are starting to get mentioned now!**

 **Me: Right. It was only a matter of time. Notes!**

 **1\. So Kamui finally shows herself. The girl from chapter 1 is indeed Kamui who showed up to warn someone of her brother's life being in danger. By warning Bayonetta and Cloud, it allowed them to meddle with a prophecy that foresaw Corrin's death early. She needed to lie about the dragonstone in order for this to happen. Unfortunately, Kamui did not know that Mikoto and Gunter's life was also in danger and would not be able to save them.**

 **If it isn't apparent, Kamui is the twin that does all the fighting in comparison to Corrin who does all the healing. Valla is based on Valhalla of Norse Mythology, so of course everyone in Valla is supposed to be a fighter. As you can see, Felicia is the twin that sucks at doing chores but is a great fighter. Joker is a good fighter. Volga (who noticeably does not fit the theme of the water dragons, but I'll go into some detail later about him) is a dragon that loves fighting and of course, most of the people in Valla are soldiers.**

 **2\. So here we have Anankos. If you're expecting Anankos to be the villain, you are going to be disappointed. I pretty much lay it here that Anankos is incapable of being the villain. For one, he's based on the kind hearted Anankos, but still has the hideous dragon appearance. He is not isolated in this universe therefore he has no reason to go insane. He is rather depressed though not being able to live with the rest of his family, but as long as he has Kamui, he is capable of doing his job as a protector. The second thing is Anankos is listed as an ill dragon. He's getting old, so his barrier around the continent will not last forever as if foreshadowing something. He can still walk around Valla in human form but he cannot be doing that for a long period of time without an earthquake happening and causing the continent to become unstable. Living stuck in a cave is very miserable, but people visit him every day so it's tolerable.**

 **Valla in general is not the same description as in the game. This is because Valla is very surreal with everything being sideways and how most of the kingdom was already in ruins. I changed Valla to where it was an underground kingdom with a nature and water being the main theme seeing as how Anankos is a water dragon. Major locations include the lake on the outside of the Dragon's Den, the waterfall in the Dragon's Den, a huge tree that is growing because of the fresh water and the many houses built around the river area along with the arena and shops for weapons, food, medicine and other important utensils. It's funny how this almost sounds like the description of Frontier Village instead, but it's not.**

 **3\. So I don't think I ever described Bayonetta's appearance in the first two chapters and the third one she dressed up. The appearance of Bayonetta in this story is from the first game. This should be a hint to her current power level since in Bayonetta 2, she is clearly stronger. However, note how she hasn't done anything but warping Cloud and Corrin away from locations. It's important to pay attention to her power level so you won't be surprised later.**

 **FYI, the Cloud in this story is based on his FFVII appearance and not his AC appearance. In my Smash universe, Cloud has his AC and Bayonetta has her Bayonetta 2 appearance, so it does help to know that I am going by their younger incarnations here.**

 **4\. Pay attention to Bayonetta's reaction when someone touches her. Don't worry. Her backstory doesn't imply that sort of thing, but it's still important to note of what might have happened. Macbeth doesn't scare her. It's what he attempted to do in a moment of rage that nearly scared her. It should also be noted that Bayonetta is used to situations like these so you have to wonder why she almost froze up in the first place. Had it not been for Camilla, the façade she has would have broken in that moment.**

 **5\. If you haven't noticed, I didn't bother describing Shulk or the people he's with. I will next chapter, but I didn't want to giveaway what he looked like. Granted, Shulk is with the Monado so it should be obvious why he would stand out. His sword is just as big as Cloud's so that would make things suspicious. As mentioned above, I didn't bother describing Bayonetta (or Cloud's) appearance for the same reason to keep people guessing. This is an AU after all.**

 **6\. Rinku is the name I'm using for Toon Link. I mean, he's one of the few Smashers that sails a boat so…**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. If you do review, I do have a question for you all. Who is Shulk with from the description (he's with three other people as Toon Link is specifically stated to be waiting in the same harbor that Cloud kept bringing up previously)? Who is Ava supposed to be? He's not really an OC so it shouldn't be too difficult. Ja ne!**


	9. Seers From Beyond the Continent

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon** **and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 9: Seers From Beyond the Continent

* * *

 _In a cell similar to the one she was in now, a young girl had forced herself into the corner of it. She was sitting down with her legs up to her chest. The girl hugged them for comfort as she cited a mantra over and over again. It was odd for a witch like her to pray for someone to save her, but that was the only thing that was on her mind. She was told to be strong and wait for help to arrive, but it wasn't coming. It was becoming apparent at this point and it was making her fall into despair and for good reasons._

 _Her cell had bloodstains all over the floor that leaked outside of said cell. This was not her blood. It was the blood of her comrades that were captured with her. It started out with five witches. Then there were four witches. Then there were three witches. Then there were two witches. And then there was one…and she was the one that was in the cell crying. She was stripped away of her clothes and her powers. She was kept alive due to the importance she had in the Umbra Witch clan. She was a bargaining chip, but one that was forgotten. If her clan cared, they would have saved her and the group of witches before the first one was brutally tortured and killed. The clock was ticking and still no one came for her._

 _The worse part was they had moved to her to torment. The young witch gasped hearing the cell door open and the man who was responsible for the murder of her friends was before her. His sinister smile sent shivers down her spines as she tried to back away. There was nowhere else to go. She was trapped._

" _What's the matter Cereza? Where's that confidence you had when I first captured you? Did the death of your friends affect you that much? Come on now. I'll take you out of the cell so you can see how I handled their bodies. They're beautiful trophies put on display now and you will have the honor of joining them soon."_

 _Cereza would have preferred a quick and easy death to what this man wanted from her. She let out a pitiful scream as he had grabbed her arm and yanked her from her position. Without her powers, she was just a normal girl with no way to fight her attacker. She tried to pull away but he was too strong. The man enjoyed seeing her struggle and yanked her out of the cell and to another room that had torture devices. Compared to the ones that killed her friends slowly, the torture chamber seemed more…sexual in nature._

" _Come now my sweet. The night is still young. Your precious "mummy" isn't going to save you anytime soon. I can't wait for the boys to bring in her head. You'll become an obedient doll like your favorite Cheshire toy."_

"S-Stop…let me go…please…"

 _Her voice sounded pathetic. She was pathetic. She was supposed to be one of the strongest witches in the Umbra Clan and here she was begging her enemy to spare her from the torture he prepared for her._

" _What if I told you I don't want to let you go?" He asked her as he threw her on the table. She flinched when her back hit the cold table. "I want to have some fun with you before we try to negotiate with those stubborn bitches."_

 _At this point, there was nothing but screaming and crying. No matter what she did, there was nothing she could do. She was a hopeless mess…_

* * *

Bayonetta let out a startled cry as she shot up from her dream. She immediately realized it was just a dream and snarled remembering the position she was in.

"Of all the times to have those awful flashbacks…it had to be now." Bayonetta hissed to herself. "At least I'm not in the same cell as I was back then."

The past was a cruel mistress. She didn't want to think about it much less talk about it. All the past did was remind the Umbra Witch why she wanted everyone around her to die. It was stupid to hold a grudge against the people today in comparison to what happened eighteen years ago, but she would never forgive the inquisitors who took joy in killing off her comrades many years ago. The people she had grown up with were dealt with one after another until she was the only one left. Bayonetta was fortunate that nothing had happened like the dream liked to pretend it did. Before anything terrible could happen, she was saved by her best friend Jeanne…but it cost Jeanne her life just to get Bayonetta to a safe place. Bayonetta could never forgive herself for showing weakness in front of the enemy and hiding when given the opportunity. She had told herself she would never be put in that situation again…yet…here she was letting herself be arrested and could potentially be put in the same position as she was eighteen years ago. Macbeth could have started something, but she relied on her scary image to prevent him from doing anything that she would dislike. However, that wasn't going to be enough. Had it not been for Camilla, she might have relived the past right at that moment, and that alone only made her snarl.

 _I wonder if Cloud will come back for me._ Bayonetta thought to herself before she laughed bitterly. _Impossible. If Cloud came back, he would show up for Tifa. She needs all the support she can get with how they're interrogating her._

Thinking about Cloud now was pointless. The raven haired witch knew the mercenary needed to protect Corrin above all else. He was the key to everything. He could save the continent or indirectly cause her plans to come true, but regardless of what he did, he needed to be kept out of Macbeth's reach. Macbeth displayed the same lust as that man who nearly torture her eighteen years ago. He must be eliminated before something terrible happened to Corrin. Right now, she still needed to bide her time.

When she thought that, Bayonetta ended up looking at the men who were guarding her cell. She saw the sinister looks they were giving her. When she was asleep, she was defenseless. They could stare and drool at her body all day and nobody would say anything. Macbeth had messed with her outfit so her breasts were still showing. Her expression darkened hearing what the guards were saying amongst each other.

"Hey, don't think of anything funny. We were told to watch her."

"I know, I know, but she's hot. I have never seen a woman as gorgeous as her."

"She's a witch! We mustn't be tempted by her!"

"But look at her curves! Look how her breasts are hanging out! It's like she wants us to come in and have some fun!"

"What are you talking about boys?" Bayonetta interrupted causing the two to jump. "You know it's rude to talk trash to a lady when she's right in front of you. How about you two come in here and remove these chains that prevent me from anything to you. Let's see how much fun you'll have when you find out how much endurance I have."

The men were scared at the tone she was using. It was counterproductive to ask to be ravaged by them, but these men were cowards. They had the opportunity and her consent to an extent, but instead of taking it, they fled from their post and shout how it was someone else' turn to take the shift. All Bayonetta could do was shake her head in annoyance.

"Pathetic swine." Bayonetta mumbled to herself as she tried to move her hands again but to no avail. _Is there anybody on this continent besides Cloud has the guts to take my offer? Oh wait…I really need to stop asking for Cloud. I need to pretend that he's only a customer…_

Even though she said customer, she let out an exaggerated sigh. Hoping for Cloud to come and save her along with Tifa was too much to ask for at this rate. She was better off thinking of a plan to get herself out without attracting too much attention or putting Flora's life at risk.

* * *

Corrin would soon calm down after the conversation with his father. So many emotions ran through his head that he needed to run off to clear his mind. He would end up at the place that Kamui called home and stood outside originally before he decided against entering. Kamui had yet to give him the permission to use whatever belonged to her despite being twins. She wasn't able to express her excitement yet at all due to having to reintroduce him to his father.

 _This entire time…I thought he abandoned us._ Corrin thought to himself. _Now I'm being told that's not the case. My hatred for my father all this time…was unjustified…I…_

Corrin stopped when he heard singing coming from the house. His ears twitched at the lovely voice that was singing. If only he had any class that moment would he have had continued to wait outside instead of go toward the door and opening it. The door wasn't locked so he allowed himself in.

Kamui's house was rather big. The house was split into multiple sections including the lounge, the kitchen, the restroom and four bedrooms on the upper floor. Corrin did indeed count four people that could have possibly lived in the house, but who did the voice belong to?

" _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek…_

 _Life beyond the shore just out of reach…_

 _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

 _The path is yours to climb…"_

The voice came from the lounge area. A young woman with light blue hair, and a lovely white dress was singing in the middle of the room oblivious to everything around her. Corrin had never heard a voice as beautiful as hers. He was entranced by it and approached her. Corrin's footsteps had caused the woman to stop as she turned around with a warm smile on her face. Corrin saw that she had golden eyes and wore a weird pendant around her necklace. She was surprised at the person behind her.

"…I thought you were Kamui…" She said simply. Her voice was rather cold despite her gentle voice when singing. "…You must be Prince Corrin."

"Y-Yes…and you are?"

"I used to be called Aqua, but now I am simply known as Azura." The songstress introduced. "It is a pleasure to meet you…although I do not think that Kamui would appreciate you coming into her home without her permission."

Corrin blinked before he blushed. "S-Sorry…I just heard your singing and it's beautiful…"

Azura just smiled at the compliment. "You two really are twins."

"Eh?"

Azura decided to change the subject as she decided to sit down. "How has your stay in Valla been so far? Did Kamui show you the sights…or did she take you straight to your father."

The songstress urged Corrin to sit down next to her to which he did. He sighed and responded with the latter causing Azura to sigh as well.

"That is not a surprise. With how quickly things are moving, we do need to get you up to speed on the current situation."

"…I'm still trying to get over the fact I can transform into a dragon…learning that my father is not human is still a hard pill to swallow…"

"I see…"

"So much has happened in the past few days besides that…my mother was murdered and I learned there was a kingdom under Izumo…the kingdom I was supposed to rule. I learned that I had a twin sister and that we were separated at birth. I learned that is a continent beyond this one where Cloud is from. It's just a lot to take in…"

"…I hope you don't mind taking more information in though. You have been locked out of the loop so long that I wonder if we'll be able to keep you up to date."

Corrin doubted that. What else would everyone be hiding from him that he didn't know? The dragon prince had some ideas but hoped that what he was thinking was actually true.

"Regardless, even if I chastise you for coming into Kamui's house uninvited, I am certain she will allow you to use it until further notice."

"Thank you."

"If there is anything you would like to know, feel free to ask."

"Actually…I want to know your relationship with Kamui."

Azura was bemused by the question. Corrin was being former to his twin sister when he didn't need to.

"Well…how should I put this…you have bodyguards…correct?"

Corrin shook his head. Even though Cloud was considered one by everyone who was here and Bayonetta would be a close second, he couldn't think of them as bodyguards. When he thought of a bodyguard, he thought of Gunter, but that man was dead.

"So that man you were with was not your bodyguard?"

"No. He was just escorting me out of Izumo…"

"I see…"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Well, you see…you might say that I am Kamui's trusted bodyguard." The songstress said with a sly smile. Corrin failed to understand the implication of her words. "You probably met the knight who brought you here early. His name is Volga and he is also a trusted bodyguard."

"…Didn't Kamui ask him to look for you?"

"He did, but then he went upstairs and took a nap." Azura answered with a sigh. "Honestly, I don't understand dragons and their need to sleep all day."

Corrin didn't have a habit of sleeping too much…

"Anyways, if you want to talk about why I am in Valla, I can."

"Oh?"

"I was born here in Valla nineteen years ago. My father was the king of Valla and had served by Anankos' side for as long as the kingdom could remember. The two were best of friends, but a year after I was born…my father was killed in a war. When he died, my mother had fled Valla due to the dangers during the war…we ended up living in Nohr until recently." When she said this, Azura had unconsciously grabbed a hold of her pendent and held it tightly. "Two years ago, another war broke out and I lost my mother to that war. I encountered Kamui and I had escaped back to Valla…we have been inseparable ever since then…"

For someone who gave the impression of an aloof individual, Azura was ready to talk about her past to some strange. If Corrin asked, the gold eyed songstress would add how this is important information for Corrin. This was true seeing as how this story brought up two wars. Corrin was still locked out of the loop concerning the war, but if he tried to dig back two years ago, he would realize his mind was drawing a blank for whatever reason.

"You were always from Valla." Azura continued. "However, when Anankos made the decision to take Kamui to Valla and to keep you and Queen Mikoto in Izumo, my mother ended up separated from yours. Once in a blue moon would they meet each other again…yet we had never met…it is strange…"

"…My mother knew your mother?"

"Yes, they are sisters. My mother is the older sister."

"W-Wait…so we're…cousins?"

Azura giggled at Corrin's reaction. "I needed to tell you immediately so you wouldn't get any funny ideas. You wouldn't want to end up like Kamui, would you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll find out in due time."

Azura didn't want to talk about this subject for some strange reason. Corrin assumed it was because it was something embarrassing. However, Corrin heard the growling of someone upstairs. Apparently, there was more than one person upstairs and things started to shatter.

"Who dares disturb me from my nap?!" Volga could be heard roaring.

"S-Sorry! I-I was just trying to clean up and-woah!"

Another crash could be heard caused by some more yelling. Azura groaned at how loud they were being.

"Volga will be downstairs soon." Azura began. "Make sure to reintroduce yourself to him. I will also be introducing Felicia and Joker to you."

Corrin rolled his eyes. He wondered if Azura just assumed Kamui told him everything. She was quick about it, so it wasn't exactly enough information to match faces with names. He would have to update Felicia, Joker and everyone in this house on what has happened to Flora and Gunter. The least he could do was tell them what was going outside of Valla in this short amount of time.

As Volga came down the stairs, Corrin noticed that there was a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. He didn't see that before, but he made a mental note about it for later. It was just odd to see a dragon wear scarf made with odd material…

"Volga is very grouchy. Make sure he doesn't walk all over you."

Corrin chuckled nervously when he made eye contact with the dragon knight. Why did he have a feeling things would go to hell really fast?

* * *

In the safe chambers of the Izumo pagoda where he was allowed to stay until further notice, Macbeth continued to seethe over the constant failures of the Nohrian soldiers who failed to find any traces of Corrin. It should not have been difficult to find any trace of him. Corrin and Cloud were obviously taken away by the Umbra Witch, but there weren't any hints that were in her shop. It was almost like Bayonetta had a spell ready to cover up their tracks. For all Macbeth knew, Cloud could have escaped to god knows where and taken Corrin with him. Bayonetta had taken the fall for the two, but besides the gold she had made and some old books of the past, there was nothing in that shop and that had caused Macbeth to slam his fist on the table.

The evil tactician had no problem overworking the soldiers under him except Gantz. Until Corrin was found, he would make sure they wouldn't sleep. Corrin needed to return to him alive. The sooner he returned, the easier it would be to blackmail the Izumo prince as punishment for making things more difficult for him.

"Macbeth, you are in the room I assume?"

Macbeth snarled at the voice. "What do you want Zora? Your goal is to observe the Hoshido and Nohr siblings and report back to me."

"…Macbeth, you are aware that you can spy on the prince thanks to his majesty…right?"

Zora really wasn't anything to look at. He could easily be classified as the court jester of Nohr and no one would question him. He was a great dark magic user with the ability to shift his appearance to whomever he saw fit. His dark magic also allowed him to look into the memories of someone and then use that information for his transformation spells. Zora was overall a good spy, but because he looked like a jester, it was easier for him to not be questioned.

"Are you referring to that thing that King Garon gave my Rapunzel?"

"Yes. Since it was made from Nohr, any dark mage who has seen what it looked like can use their dark magic and look through it."

Macbeth smiled being told this. "Excellent."

"However, if you don't know the location of the prince, then it's not really useful."

"No need. Just knowing that I can keep my eyes on him at all times makes this news delightful."

Macbeth would waste no time activating his powers to see where Corrin is. He grins seeing that the dragon prince was in a location with lots of water. He did not know where this location was, but he was very pleased to see the Izumo prince had stripped down in order to bathe himself. Zora gave Macbeth a weird expression after seeing Macbeth's expression morph into something disturbing.

"Umm…Macbeth…"

"Uh fu fu…how lovely."

"…Macbeth…I still need to talk to you why I'm here…can you masturbate to whatever you're seeing later?"

Zora probably shouldn't be rude to Macbeth, but it was clear that he didn't want to be in the same room as the evil tactician if he was going to start making weird noises.

"Hmm? What do you need?"

"I brought Christo with me. He has the book on Valla that you wanted and will have information that you might like."

"Christo? Oh, that odd individual that is always with Duke Izana. Bring him in."

Zora obeyed as he brought in Izana's assistant. Christo appeared nervous when he stepped into the room. He adjusted his glasses as he went over to the table and plopped a huge book onto said table.

"I have searched the archives and brought the largest history book concerning the kingdom of Valla. If you have any other books you want me to find, just summon me and I will deliver." Christo told him as he took a step back. "If you will excuse me…"

"Wait…" Macbeth began. "I'm not done."

"Oh?"

"I want to have an update on the investigation of the queen's death. You guys have moved the investigation along, right?"

Christo seemed rather nervous by the question. "O-Of course. Who do you take Izana and me for?"

"I'm not accusing you of anything. I just want to know if there is any damning evidence for the queen's death."

Christo looked over to Zora who had no intention of letting him leave until he answered. The young man shook his head in annoyance as he glared at Macbeth. "I will have you know that until we have 100% proof of who killed her majesty that we will not give it out to the people outside of Izumo. Please understand this."

Christo had no problem turning around and leaving the room quickly. It was obvious that he was hiding something. Zora would be asked to spy on Christo as well if he refused to give a direct answer on what they found out about the queen. Macbeth waited for Zora to leave before he allowed himself to continue spying on the prince. His eyes would turn his attention to the book of Valla. He was smart. He could put two and two together and know where Corrin was from that. However, learning about the queen should come first. After all, if something came up that did not benefit King Garon, Macbeth would have to find a way to fix things so it would fit to his vision of the night of the murder.

Macbeth smiled widely seeing Corrin get out of the small lake area in order to get a towel. He seemed completely out of it when he was drying himself off. The Nohrian tactician licked his lips observing Corrin's every movement.

 _Soon, this tongue will be trailing all over your body my sweet prince. Soon, you will be mine and mine alone. Enjoy your freedom while you can. You can't run away from your destiny forever._

* * *

Sleep could not find itself to Corrin no matter what he did. He was able to relax when he was around Kamui's servants but when it finally came to going to sleep and prepare for the next day, Corrin found himself gazing up at the ceiling. The dragon prince shook his head in annoyance as he shut his eyes hoping to doze off. Instead, he ended up tossing and turning until he found the blanket kicked off the bed thus forcing him to grab it. However, it was obvious at this point that Corrin just wasn't going to sleep when he had too much on his mind. There were still so many questions left unanswered from his mother's death to finding out about his heritage. If he wasn't a big baby, he would have demanded more answers from Anankos. There wasn't that much time though if the life of his maid and Cloud's friends were on the line, so he would have to wait.

"…This isn't working." Corrin said out loud as he got off the bed. "I need to clear my head."

It wasn't just Corrin who needed fresh air. The silver haired prince left the room and proceeded to exit the house. Outside, Corrin noticed a certain spiky blond haired mercenary just sitting down near the lake. Corrin slowly approached Cloud thinking the mercenary would notice him, but the blond's head was in outer space. He didn't notice Corrin's presence until he sat down next to the older man and spoke to him.

"You couldn't sleep either?"

Cloud's eyes widened for a moment before realizing it was only the dragon prince next to him.

"Not in the least…"

"What's on your mind?"

"My friends."

Corrin was surprised to get an answer out of him. Cloud must have felt at ease to be so open with him.

"My friends are strong, but I can't help but think they might already be dead…"

"Oh…"

"I was never good with opening up to people…" Cloud admitted to the silver haired prince confusing him greatly. "Then…I met the members of AVALANCHE and was able to get over my issues…but…"

"…Three of the members died…" Corrin finished. Cloud sighed at that. "I'm sorry that Marx's retainers did that. I thought I knew them better…but…"

"No…it's okay. They were ordered to rescue you and to murder anyone who they think would harm you. I'm not really surprised they see me as an enemy."

"They don't know the truth though!" Corrin exclaimed. "I need to find something to incriminate Macbeth! I know he's related to my mother's murder somehow…"

"…Are you really sure of that?"

"He used her death to get to me…" Corrin murmured darkly. His eyes for a moment became smaller. It was if his dragon instincts were taking over. His voice started to sound harsher as a result. "I thought about it and he would be the one to benefit the most from this. If things are left as it is, there will be a war…and Mother's effort would have been a waste. If he gets his way, then things will be able to stabilize…but he gets Izumo."

"That guy really does sound like a creep."

"You have no idea…" Corrin began. He was ready to vent to Cloud even though it really wasn't the time for it. "He always creeped me out as a kid…and he was a huge jerk and coward too. He always tries to one up Leon in everything he does. It's the only reason Macbeth is King Garon's tactician and not his own son…and Macbeth abuses that position because he thinks that Garon or any of Garon's children haven't noticed his treachery…"

"Huh?"

"He always seemed to be the type who wanted to rule over Nohr or start a war with Hoshido. He's just so power hungry…and then there's me. I don't know when he started looking at me as a marriage candidate. I don't know why he would even think I would say yes or even think the people of Izumo of approve. There would be no heir…"

Cloud had a good idea on why Macbeth would want Corrin. Besides moving up in the rankings, Macbeth would have so much access to whatever Corrin inherited from Mikoto. Things would become difficult for people especially those who wanted to trade with the country. Macbeth obviously didn't know Corrin was a dragon though for some strange reason despite his unusual ears. It didn't seem like an important detail though when one looked at Corrin and saw what a catch he was. From what Cloud has learned in the short time he has known the prince, Corrin is kind if not naïve. He was passive but was capable of being assertive when he needed to be. He was gorgeous to look at with the most beautiful red eyes Cloud had ever laid his eyes upon.

 _Wait…  
_

Cloud realized what he just thought to himself and ended up blushing at how stupid his observation was. The last thing he wanted to think was how the prince he was supposed to be watching over was attractive and it wouldn't matter if he was a guy or girl if he was as gorgeous as his mother. Macbeth obviously did not care what was in his pants, so that would mean…

"Cloud, did you hear a word I just said?"

Cloud didn't because he zoned out again thinking how hot the prince was. He let out an agitated sigh as he shook his head. "No…"

The dragon prince pouted his lip. He folded his arms in annoyance. "Really?"

"Repeat what you just said. I was just thinking…"

"…I said I was going to head back to Izumo to save Flora and your friends. I don't like the idea that Macbeth could end their lives if King Garon wills it."

Cloud blinked before he came to the realization that he missed a lot of information on what Corrin's intentions were.

"…No."

"No what?"

"You're staying here. I am going back to Izumo tomorrow to help them."

A small smirk escaped Cloud's lip seeing Corrin's expression change from one of pouting to one of obvious frustration. It was almost cute…

There I go again with these stupid thoughts…

"Why not?! I got them in this situation. I know I can talk to someone in Izumo like Duke Izana and clear their name."

"That won't happen." Cloud told him. "Use your brain. You know the story being passed around is that you got kidnapped by me and my comrades and being held against your will. If you say anything defending us, we might have cast some spell on you."

"But that isn't what…"

"Now that Bayonetta is in the picture, their narrative can come true. As far as they are concerned, she is associated with me…" Cloud scratched at the back of his head when he said that. "Then again…she forced her way into my life. I told her multiple times to not get involved but…she's very persistent in being the thorn at my side."

Corrin was confused at the tone Cloud was giving him. Yes, he was not thrilled at the idea of being told he needed to stay safe in Valla while Cloud ventured alone back into dangerous territory, but he was interested to know why Bayonetta was a problem.

"…Is that a bad thing?"

"…Not really." The mercenary admitted. "Her assistance has helped me in the past. Even now…the reason I don't need that much help is because I know she'll be helping me. Bayonetta is not a helpless damsel. She's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike."

Cloud had faith that the Umbra Witch didn't put herself in a bad situation with no way out. She wasn't that type of person.

"…You two seem really close." Corrin stated as a matter of fact statement. "Are you two dating?"

Cloud snarled at the question. "No! Why does everyone assume that?"

"Well…you two were working together at the banquet…she helps you out even if it doesn't benefit her and she said a lot of good things about you when you were unconscious…"

The blond facepalmed at this. The things Bayonetta said must not be good. He knew her well enough to know that everything she said was always sugarcoated with an insult or was an innuendo to make him nervous. Even now, his face was red but his hand was covering his face up so Corrin wouldn't see how embarrassed he was.

"…It's just a business relationship." Cloud snarled. "I help her out whenever she needs assistance with her demon hunting or item gathering outside of Izumo and in return, she gives me a place to hide when I couldn't go back to Tifa and helps me find a new job to take on if I can't find anything useful. Nothing has happened between us."

"Okay…"

Corrin wasn't convinced. Cloud was too much in denial about one simple question.

"Tch…I think you should be heading back to bed." The blond snarked as he finally decided to stand up. "Anankos will probably summon you tomorrow for whatever reason."

"But…"

"I'll be fine tomorrow. The conversation we had made me tired. I'm heading back to bed."

Cloud was simply dodging anymore questions concerning Bayonetta at this point. Corrin couldn't even demand for Cloud to take him along to save her and his friends. The blond turned his back on the silver haired prince and started walking back to Kamui's place. Corrin would follow after him shortly after. Red eyes would continue making holes in Cloud's back.

* * *

The next morning, Cloud prepared to head out to Izumo to save his friends. He rested up better than he expected and he was filled with a confidence that he thought he didn't have. Maybe the talk with Corrin worked wonders after all. He was healed up and had his buster sword ready to go. If he could save Bayonetta, Tifa and Barret without any of them dying, then he was certain things would work out afterwards.

"Are you still intending to go on your own?"

Cloud rolled his eyes at the Izumo prince. Corrin was clearly not a morning person, but he was determined to go with travel to save everyone.

"I told you last night not to come. I'm starting to think you won't listen if I told you no again."

"Nope."

A sigh escaped his lips as Cloud gave up the idea of the prince staying put. Bayonetta wouldn't be happy seeing him and Kamui certainly wouldn't be happy if she found out her brother was leaving Valla, but what else could he do? Arguing anymore would waste time.

"…Fine…you can come along."

Corrin's smile widened as a response.

"However, if I feel like you're going to hurt the mission…you're staying behind."

"I won't disappoint you!"

"…I guess I should tell you the news I got from your father then…"

The silver haired prince was interested. Cloud only got this information after listening to Anankos after Corrin left, so this information needed to be passed on.

"The seer that was spoken about yesterday…he's apparently in Izumo."

"R-Really?!"

"There is a teleporter that will apparently take us to their location. If we rendezvous with them, we can ask them to assist us with the rescue mission. It's not a guarantee response, but we can at least try."

Corrin liked this idea. The more help they had, the better.

"I am following Anankos' instructions on where to go from here." Cloud continued. "Stay close."

The dragon prince nodded his head as he followed behind the mercenary. Valla was a rather large nation despite it being underground. Corrin was amazed at how there were a lot of secret areas. If they were going to stay here until further notice, Corrin needed to map out the area. This particular teleporter was located in a smaller cave farther away from the Dragon's Den. The cave was small enough to hide one of the many teleporters around the area.

As the two approached the teleporter, they noticed someone was blocking it. Cloud sighed knowing full well who it was.

"…Not you too…"

"Kamui?"

Corrin called the name of his sister. Compared to him, she was ready to battle (while he carried his sword, dragonstone and a staff for healing).

"Hey, you know I heard Father's suggestion to you Cloud. I'm going to be assisting you in saving your girlfriend and your friends."

"For the last time…Bayonetta is not…"

"Who said it was the witch?"

Cloud just wanted to drop the subject. Kamui looked toward her younger twin and frowned.

"Why are you coming along?" Kamui questioned rather annoyed.

"I'm going to help." Corrin answered.

"…Really…with no training whatsoever?"

"Even if I can't fight, I can heal and that is crucial to have someone who can heal your wounds in battle." Corrin explained. "I won't be a liability to you two."

Kamui saw how Cloud had given up trying to convince Corrin to stay behind. If the blond couldn't do it, then Kamui wouldn't be able to do it either. Chances are something would come up that would force Corrin to return, but for now, she decided to humor her twin brother and allowed him to come along for the ride.

* * *

Because Bayonetta's shop was under investigation, the portal wasn't going to teleport the group there. Cloud had to wonder where exactly this portal would end up. He was surprised that there was a portal to an abandoned shack that was in the slum portion of Izumo. Did Bayonetta have the portal here in advance or was it set up recently by someone else? Cloud was certain he has been in the slums before to hide from the Nohrian soldiers and was certain that there weren't any portals like the one that he just came through. Once he stepped off the portal, he knew why he had never seen this portal before.

"Yay! They're here! Master Shulk, they're here now!"

In front of the, there were three figures in a cloak and one person that was not in a cloak. The one not in a cloak was the loud one and Cloud already wanted to turn back around hearing his voice. Corrin's eyes widened seeing the person only because one word ran through his mind when his eyes met his.

"Cute…"

The voice came from a young man with pink hair and hot pink eyes to go with it. Everything about him was pink though. Even the robe he was wearing was a rose color. He appeared to be a tactician from the way he was dressed (but not the color obviously). What Corrin noticed was the odd eye symbol on his robe. Was even stranger (but not really) was the young man clinging to Corrin's shoulder almost immediately. Hearts seemed to replace his eye pupil temporary before reverting back to normal.

"Shall I service you after coming here to see me?" The young boy asked.

Corrin tilted his head in confusion. What did he mean by service? Kamui and Cloud seem to know what it was and both of them had cheeks the same color as this boy's hair. One of the three people wearing cloaks did in fact walk over and pry the pink haired male off of the dragon prince.

"Ava, where are your manners?"

"But Master Shulk…"

"No butts. You're only going to make them leave faster if you keep acting like a child."

At this point, the person lecturing the pink haired male had removed his hood in order to reveal himself to the the three newcomers. Cloud was the one puzzled now. He felt like he had met this man before, but his memory wasn't going back far enough.

"I apologize for Ava." The man known as Shulk began. "He's very touchy to everyone he meets."

"N-No problem." Corrin spoke. "Y-You must be the seer that my father has spoken about…"

"We're a group of seers to be honest." Shulk told him. "I'll introduce you to them." He looked over to the other two people in the cloaks. "It's safe."

The two people approached the group before removing their cloaks. The two people underneath the cloaks were two youthful looking women. The one on the left could even be considered a young girl. She had long black hair and brown eyes. She wore a veil over her mouth. Corrin couldn't see what her outfit was due to the cloak she was wearing, but he assumed that she was a dark mage from Nohr judging from her visible headpiece. The woman to the right made Corrin think that she was like him too. Her pointy ears stood out to him more than anything else and that said a lot when she had green hair which was not normal. Her green eyes were directed toward Corrin and Kamui as she smiled warmly.

"Another dragon…" Cloud murmured. "Dragons really aren't extinct after all…"

"…There is more than one sub-species of dragons." The girl with green hair spoke. "The Invisible dragons are non-existent now, but other dragons still exist outside of the Invisible Continent."

Kamui knew that. Volga was the proof that there was more than one type of dragon. Corrin was baffled by this.

"T-Then you're like me…like us!"

The term "Us" referred to him and Kamui. The girl nodded her head as a response.

"Let me introduce you to everyone." Shulk started as he pointed to the girls. "As stated before, I am Shulk Soss also known as the Seer of Plegia. The Manakete is Tiki. She is the Divine Dragon of Akaneia. The young lady next to her is named Nyx. She's a traveling fortune teller that originated from Nohr, so she's a new member to our group."

"Shulk, must I remind you that I am way older than I appear?" Nyx questioned almost immediately.

"S-Sorry."

"I'm also offended that you would introduce me after you gave yourself and Lady Tiki wonderful introductions. You must think low of me in comparison."

"N-No! I wouldn't…"

Nyx was just messing with Shulk seeing how flustered he was getting. For someone who had a high position, he sure wasn't able to understand sarcasm. Ava didn't care about the sarcasm as he clung to Shulk's arm.

"Hey, don't forget about me! I'm important too!" The pink haired male exclaimed.

"O-Oh…right…this is Ava. He's…my assistant." Shulk paused when he said this. He didn't know how to describe the male next to him.

"Rude!"

"…Isn't he a tactician?" Cloud had to ask. "He doesn't act like one but…"

"I am a tactician!" Ava exclaimed. "It's in my bloodline!"

"Bloodline?"

"Ava is related to the Prince and Princess of Plegia." Shulk explained. "You…could say he's a cousin…of some sorts…"

Corrin was confused with why Shulk was nervous. Why was it so hard to introduce who Ava was? He was already interesting as it is.

"Prince and princess?" Kamui asked. "I'm interested to know who they are. Are they the reason you have ventured into the Invisible Continent?"

"Yes…of course." Shulk answered. "Tiki is a powerful seer with the ability to communicate with the heavenly beings. She was tasked with searching for the two dragons that resided on the Invisible Continent. Due to some issues concerning her bodyguards, Prince Robin and Princess Reflet assigned me as her bodyguard. Ava accompanied me for this task."

"We are gonna save our kingdom!" Ava declared. "We need Prince Corrin and Princess Kamui's help!"

"Ava…please." Shulk grumbled causing the pink haired tactician to close his mouth. "It is true though. Tiki is searching you to assist her kingdom. The Princes and Princess of Plegia also want me to take you two to Plegia…specifically you Prince Corrin to help them deal with current problems in their kingdom."

Corrin couldn't believe his ears. "Excuse me…are you suggesting I abandon my home when it's in a state of chaos to go with you?"

The blond seer nodded his head. Corrin was baffled at how blunt Shulk was being.

"I can't now. If you're saying everyone I love here is in danger because of this war in the near future, I simply cannot run away. I have to do everything I can to stop it."

"But the future isn't looking bright for anyone…especially you if you don't leave." Shulk insisted. "There is only so much you can do in your current state."

Shulk was referring to the fact that Corrin did not have the fighting experience to handle the situation. If Corrin was like his sister, there wouldn't be an issue, but that's not how things are. Kamui was a good fighter but due to not being the heir of Izumo, she was not going to persuade anyone to stop fighting. Corrin could handle the situation with just words…but the problem is that the people who were in pursuit of the dragon prince will take advantage of Corrin's inability to fight in order to get what they want. Even if the dragon twins combined their effort, the probability of stopping the war was low.

"Even if the odds are against me…I will stop the war. And I will find my mother's killer. I will not rest until I know who ended her life."

Shulk held his tongue at Corrin's words concerning his mother. He and Tiki thought the same thing though concerning the inevitable war. It was admirable for Corrin to still want to help the residents of the Invisible Continent despite the fear of war breaking out with him in the middle. This continent has been engulfed in many wars at this point that another one wouldn't be a surprise. Corrin was a huge reason for this upcoming war, so it was better to take him out of the continent rather than him being a casualty.

"…I see." Tiki began. "It is kind of you to want to save your home despite the odds being stacked against you. However…I do think that it will be impossible to stop the war…"

Corrin had so many questions for Tiki, but she had no intention of prioritizing the far future now. She needed to focus on the present and on what to do to save Cloud's friends. However, the vision she got was far from pleasant.

"…We need to hurry with saving your friends." Tiki began. "They will be executed soon due to wanting to force a response out of them. It will not happen. They will keep their secrets to the grave and need to be rescued today."

"…Who?" Cloud asked. "Don't tell me…"

"Your friends Tifa, Barret and then Bayonetta…she will be the last one…they will use her to lure you out into the open."

Tiki was addressing Cloud. Her vision wasn't as clear and concise as say Shulk who was receiving the same vision at this moment. From what she could tell, the leaders of Hoshido and Nohr would prioritize the Umbra Witch due to previous suspicions over Cloud's relationship with Tifa.

"Why? Bayonetta will just save herself." Cloud commented. "Why would she…"

"Anyone can get caught off guard." Shulk spoke up after his vision ended. "For now, she will be okay. Focusing on Tifa should be a priority. She will be put to death by the guillotine we do not hurry up…"

Cloud did not take this comment well at all. "What?!"

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 8676 words.**

 **Li: So Ava is…**

 **Me: Pink haired male Robin. It's something I wanted to do in my Smash universe but actually can't due to the timeline thing (it would have to be post-Mecha but you know how I am…) Notes!**

 **1\. I decided that Bayonetta's backstory will be in parts throughout the rest of this story. I feel like all the important scenes can be placed throughout the story instead of having a side story about all of them.**

 **2\. I originally was going to have Corrin talk to Felicia, Joker and Volga instead of Azura, but felt that she was more important so I had this scene instead. Azura's backstory is mostly similar to canon, but there are some things that I switched around. I'm being intentionally vague on Shenmei's relationship with Garon because I feel like Azura wouldn't talk about that. She never encountered Corrin despite living in Nohr...**

 **3\. I'm still wondering what my readers think killed Mikoto. Like Corrin is so convinced its Macbeth despite the lack of evidence. I made the scene with Christo suspicious, but there has been evidence scattered about in the story to be able to figure it out.**

 **4\. Ava is pink haired male Robin in terms of appearance. I don't intend of explaining how Ava came into existence right away. Shulk doesn't really want to talk about it, but he is related to Robin and Reflet. From the way Ava acts though, it is kind of obvious what his role is.**

 **5\. If you're confused on why Plegia and Akaneia exist at the same time, remember that this is an AU and I do have an explanation but cannot talk about it in this story due to the plot not focusing on that.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	10. Ding Dong! You're Dead (Maybe)

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 10: Ding Dong! You're Dead (Maybe)

* * *

With how bad the visions were, the group wasted no time with hatching a plan to save the prisoners. Before they could even begin, Kamui saw this as an opportunity to take Corrin out of the mission to his annoyance.

"I thought you gave me the okay back in Valla!" Corrin shouted. "Why am I being told to go back now?"

"The situation changed. Now, I don't believe you should even be near the courtyard much less Izumo."

"I'm not leaving! I need to save Flora, Bayonetta and everyone else who were caught because of me…"

"You will be a liability." Kamui told him. "We can't afford to put you in danger when all you can do is heal. Transforming into a dragon will put us at a disadvantage from the looks of things and you can't use a sword. Believe me…we'll get things done faster while you're back in Valla."

Red eyes glared back at red eyes identical to his own. He wasn't going to let Kamui win this argument. Asking for Cloud to back him up was pointless. He needed to make a convincing argument.

"Corrin, you need to stop and think of the consequences of your actions." Kamui began. "If you get caught during this mission, your reputation will be tarnished."

"Yours will too!"

"…The people don't know that the queen gave birth to twins. I'll be able to move around more freely than you."

"Yes but…"

"Plus, you need to keep with the story that everyone has for you. Wouldn't it be odd if you were seen assisting Cloud with saving everyone?"

Corrin snarled at the comment. Cloud had to jump in at this point.

"She has a point. That creepy tactician thinks that I kidnapped you when he knows damn well why you're with me." The blond added. "If you're seen with me…things will end up worse for you…and I don't want to be any more responsible for you."

"But Cloud…" Corrin mumbled. "I won't be useless…"

"The last thing I want is for you to be labeled a traitor because of me…so I think I'll change my mind now. I won't risk putting you in danger."

"No…"

Corrin wasn't going to accept this, but everyone has decided for him what he needs to do. The dragon prince did not want to be treated like this. He was going to become the king of Izumo and if he was being ordered around now, then he wouldn't be able to rule his people later.

"…Ava…" Shulk began as he looked toward the pink haired tactician.

"Yes, Master Shulk?"

"…Escort Prince Corrin back to Valla." Shulk ordered. "The portal is still open and hidden out of sight. No one will know that the prince was even here."

Ava wasn't really pleased with Shulk's orders either.

"…Are you telling me to go because I'm going to get in the way?"

"No." Shulk answered rather quickly. "While I do not want you in harm's way, I trust you with this important task."

"But what about Princess Tiki? Wouldn't her life be in danger? Should I escort her back to Valla too?"

Tiki shook her head. "No, I will be fine. I will stay out of sight. I am needed for this rescue mission to work."

Ava looked disappointed that he was being told to go away. Shulk noticed the look the pink haired tactician gave him and sighed.

"Ava…I'll give you something when the mission is done. Please, just wait in Valla until I return. You'll do that for me, won't you?"

Ava continued to pout before he complied with Shulk's orders. "…You promise?"

"Yeah."

Like a light switch, Ava's mood changed from gloomy to happy as he turned his attention toward the irritated dragon prince.

"Time to take you back to Valla!" He hummed as he grabbed Corrin's hand and started to pull him away.

"Cloud! Kamui!" Corrin called out before he was taken away. "P-Please be careful!"

The group waited until they were certain the portal activated and took Corrin and Ava away. Tiki stared at Kamui almost immediately after their presence was gone.

"…I do believe that you would make things worse." Tiki admitted to the dragon princes. "I can just tell that you are the reckless type."

"Meh, most people really don't know that the queen gave birth to twins. I can get away with being an identical stranger just this once…probably…"

Cloud really didn't like the way Kamui said that. What was the point of lecturing Corrin about not causing a scene if she was going to do that? It was almost like Cloud would need to babysit her before he could save anyone else. The blond facepalmed at the idea.

"We need to start planning now." Shulk started. "There is no time to lose."

Cloud hoped that Shulk wouldn't take long to think up a plan to save Tifa, Barret and Bayonetta. If they failed, everyone would be dead or captured. The mercenary would be surprised at the results.

* * *

Just from observation, Cloud could see that Shulk, Tiki and Nyx were a great team. The ability to look into the future from different angles allowed them to create a plan with few gaps in between. Shulk even added he might get a vision in the midst of battle and could change the future if he willed it. While Nyx's powers weren't even close to being as powerful as Shulk and Tiki, she was able to predict where the enemy soldiers would be and mark it on a map of that particular pagoda.

"This map will be finalized and our plans will commence when I get the approval of the heavenly being." Tiki stated causing Shulk to groan as a response.

"Tiki, can we not? I am positive this map is perfect. Nyx and I went over this twice."

"It is better to be safe than sorry."

Cloud was confused. Who was this heavenly being? Was it someone he should know?

Tiki started glowing as she murmured something in a language Cloud wasn't aware of. Again, he felt like he was missing something here. Tiki's hands shined the brightest as she placed her hand on the map. As soon as she let go of the map…

" _ **Tiki, you call?!"**_

Shulk sighed at the voice. "I wish it was Naga that you contacted…"

"I…kind of wished for Naga too." Tiki murmured. "But…as you know, this heavenly being is our guiding light on this journey."

"I don't need Pit's help…" Shulk could be heard snarking to himself.

" _ **I heard that Shulk!"**_

Cloud could clearly hear another voice, but he couldn't see anything.

"There is no one else in the room." Nyx told the blond. "Princess Tiki just called on the heavenly being to assist her. He can clearly see us all, but we cannot see him."

 _ **"What do you need Tiki?"**_

"I know you have been watching us for a while. Can you finalize the map for us?" Tiki asked. "You have eyes that see beyond what we can see."

 _ **"Not really. I can just mark the location of any enemy for you that you might have missed even with your combined effort."**_ The voice laughed when he said this. _**"What would you guys do without me?"**_

"We don't need you…" Shulk hissed.

The heavenly being apparently ignored Shulk's snarky comment and edited the map that the group finished. There wasn't much to add seeing as how Nyx was able to track the soldiers very well. However, the heavenly spirit seemed to mark Tiki on the map and drew a line that would keep her out of sight from the battle while still being able to influence it from the sidelines.

" _ **We wouldn't want you to be seen by anyone important."**_ The voice said with a laugh. _**"Also, the human right there needs to be right here to be able to hex people without being caught."**_

"We have spoken before and you still insist on calling me a human. You are very rude." Nyx said in a dark tone. "Maybe I should hex you next. Shulk knows your name and appearance."

The voice laughed nervously as a response. _**"Now, now. Let's not do that. The Goddess will not be pleased if I catch a cold from dark magic."**_

"It will be more than just a cold if you mess with me…"

" _ **Anyways, I marked everyone else's position on the map. Let me tell you that if Tiki and the human are positioned here, it will be very easy for the dragon and the soldier to go on the offensive. I made this map with the fewest casualties in mind if you haven't noticed. Shulk would throw a fit if I edited the map that marked out a way to slaughter everyone there."  
**_  
Cloud flinched at being referred to a soldier. Kamui would ask what that meant later. She wasn't pleased with being referred to as a dragon.

"Hey! The name is Kamui! And that's Cloud!"

 _ **"Names aren't really important to me. Anyway, Shulk…this is the best I can do. You should only step in if a vision comes in. That's why you're not marked on the map. You can choose where you will be here. Just don't try to draw attention to yourself. If anything were to happen to you, Rob will be so sad."**_

While the heavenly being was trying to be helpful, the mocking tone of that last sentence only caused Shulk to snarl.

" _ **Okay, if that is all you need, then I will be leaving now. Anything else you need from me?"**_

"…Can I talk to Naga the next time I channel the heavenly beings?" Tiki asked as a matter of fact statement.

The voice pretended to be hurt by the statement, but didn't seem to mind. _**"I'll tell Naga you said hi."**_

Tiki waited for the heavenly being to disappear from communication before she sighed in relief. At the very least he fixed the map for them so things will run smoothly.

"What a jerk." Kamui grumbled. "For someone who is supposed to be heavenly, he sure is condescending."

"It's Pit. What does anyone expect from him?" Shulk questioned.

"…At least you know he has our back." Tiki reminded the blond.

"Oh yeah, he would love for me to have an unfortunate accident and be the one to be close to Prince Robin."

"…His Goddess wouldn't allow that and you know that very well."

Shulk wanted to add that if the heavenly being's boss wasn't around, he would sure find a way to get him killed. Tiki felt like Shulk simply did not trust that guy enough when he has proven to put himself over his bitter rivalry with the knight.

"…If we're finished, we should head out." The green haired Manakete continued. "We're going to need to move now before things take a turn for a worse."

* * *

The group made quick work with their plans. Shulk, Cloud and Kamui took the lead while Tiki and Nyx took cover in the shadows. There were guards stationed everywhere. Kamui listened carefully to their footsteps and waited for the chance to strike. Shulk was not allowed to take out his sword yet. He would attract too much attention, so if Kamui wasn't paying attention, he would point it out. Nyx would hex the soldiers from a distant causing them to act up and turn their attention away from the real threats. Cloud was very good with knocking the guards out silently. Despite his huge sword, he was able to get behind them and knock them out with the hilt of his sword. Kamui would follow immediately afterward, but instead of hitting them with the hilt of her sword, she ended up punching the guard in the face.

"…No need to be violent." Cloud warned the dragon princess as he lifted the guard off the ground.

"At least I didn't kill him."

Shulk thought that Kamui would need his help lifting the guard off the ground, but she was proving that she didn't need anyone to help her. Tiki had pointed to a location where they can drop the guards off. If the guards were in a secluded area, no one would think to look for them. They would wake up eventually anyway.

This process would repeat while traveling through Izumo to the courtyard outside of the main pagoda where the banquet was originally held. It was weird to use that same location for an execution. Cloud knew that what was considered the "court house" was near the right end of Izumo where it would be considered Hoshido territory.

A large crowd gathered around the area. Tiki warned the group to get in position and not to not get careless. Shulk added that the enemy tactician was in the area, so he might notice them if they make one wrong move.

In the courtyard, two of the prisoners were brought out. Barret was in chains as he was forced to stand near well trained soldiers. Barret tried to get out of the chains, but even his strength had limits. Meanwhile, Tifa was being dragged over to the guillotine that was placed in the middle of the courtyard. Compared to Barret, Tifa didn't struggle with the soldiers. Cloud snarled at how the bartender looked. She looked like she didn't get any sleep and her clothes were somewhat torn as if she was beaten for information that they obviously didn't get.

The citizens seemed confused as to why Tifa of all people was being put to death underneath the guillotine. Macbeth smirked as he kicked her so she would fall into the slot where her neck would be.

"Citizens of Izumo, you may be wondering why there is an execution being held today. Well, after Duke Izana's investigation, we have found out that these two people are guilty of conspiring against Izumo and were involved in the assassination of Queen Mikoto."

The audience gasped at this. From the shadows, Cloud balled his fists. Of course Macbeth would do this. The blond shouldn't be surprised but he was this close to giving his location away.

"Really? How is that possible?"

"She was the nice bartender that helped us."

"Doesn't she have an alibi though…"

"I can't believe Tifa would be a killer…"

Macbeth laughed at the crowd. They had every right to be confused. Tifa had been nothing but kind to the citizens of Izumo for two years. Now they're being told she was one of the people involved in murdering their beloved king. Barret was more believable than Tifa was any day, but Macbeth wanted to see her suffer.

"She has only been good to us."

"There must be some kind of mistake!"

"When I was down, I went to the bar…and she comforted me when I was at my worse."

"Can we talk to Duke Izana? We don't want this!"

Macbeth chuckled as he looked at all the Nohrian soldiers who were ready to cut down anyone who actually tried to end the execution.

"Any last words? You seem to have a huge fanbase that admires you."

Tifa didn't say a word. She wasn't able to move from the position she was in. However, she was weakly glaring in his direction before looking ahead into the crowd. Something was on her mind, but she refused to think about it.

"…How sad. You thought that your friend was going to save you? He ran away and isn't returning for you. Even if he did, you're already dead."

Tifa tried to breathe when he said that. When he was torturing her when the Umbra Witch had fallen asleep, he said some things that really struck a nerve. She believed Cloud would come back for her, but Macbeth had argued that if Cloud did return, it wouldn't be for her but for Bayonetta. It hurt because she had her doubts on how the mercenary felt for her. The Umbra Witch has on multiple occasions pushed Cloud toward her so she wouldn't feel bad, but she felt like they were doing so many things behind her back that she felt that Cloud found it a chore to hang around her than genuinely want to spend time with her. She was still upset about Cloud going to the banquet with Bayonetta that Macbeth's words just pierced her heart and made her rather unresponsive after more verbal abuse.

Maybe that was why Tifa accepted her fate even when she could probably use this opportunity to break free. She was losing faith in Cloud coming to save her like in the past that she couldn't bring herself to break out on her own and attack. The tactician was fine with this and was prepared to end her life when she didn't respond.

Shulk tried to calm Cloud down as he told him to wait. The seer had no intention of Tifa getting killed, but he wanted Cloud to wait for Nyx to distract them before he attacked. The mercenary couldn't wait for a signal. He had to save Tifa _**now**_.

"Look, Bayonetta and Flora aren't even there. If you're expecting me to wait to confirm their location as my friends get killed, then I'm done following these plans."

"But we took the time to map everything out and you're going to throw it away like that?!"

Cloud could hear Shulk yelling at him to not move, but Cloud had already left his post with his buster sword in hand. The crowd didn't know what to expect when they felt someone push past them and see a man jump into the air and break the blade on the guillotine. The soldiers that were nearby would soon find themselves impaled in the chest by the sword shortly afterward. Macbeth paled seeing Cloud come for him.

Tifa couldn't believe it and neither could anyone else. "C-Cloud?"

"…I'm here." Cloud said simply as he kicked off the portion of the contraption that prevented Tifa from moving her head. He would then help her stand up and cut off the chain that was holding her back. "Sorry it took so long."

"No…the timing was perfect."

"HELL YEAH!" Barret could be heard shouting. "IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!"

Cloud sighed at how loud his friend was, but his attention was toward the soldiers who were starting to back off seeing the guy they were supposed to be hunting down in front of them. The aura that the blond gave off intimidated them to the point that they wanted to run. What ended up happening though was that the bystanders were the ones to panic. They turned tail and ran effectively creating chaos in the courtyard with all the pushing and shoving.

Shulk couldn't believe that Cloud threw away the plan to stay hidden until the end. The thief did have a point though that was addressed in the plans. Bayonetta was not there and neither was Flora. Flora was marked on the map on where she could possibly be. Should the party split up, Shulk would need to look out for Kamui. The dragon princess acted like she didn't know her way around Izumo but he started to doubt her when they started talking.

"…What am I going to do with him?" Shulk asked out loud as he got a vision showing Cloud being critically wounded by a spell that was cast by one of the mages that was standing away from the blond. "…I guess we have no choice. Monado Speed!"

Shulk finally activated his Monado and charged forward. If people didn't see him before due to being able to hide in the shadows, they could see him now and his mysterious blade. The red sword suddenly grew twice the size thanks to the blue light that came out. A mysterious blue symbol appeared in the circle of the blade. This increased the speed Shulk was running allowing the Monado boy to run past everyone and hit the mage before he could cast a spell. The blond made a mental note that he was spilling blood, but knocking the enemy out was impossible when Macbeth had demonstrated how much of a coward he was.

"Eeeeh! What was that?!" Macbeth cried out as Shulk turned his attention toward him. "What are you soldiers doing? Get rid of all of these traitors!"

Soldiers quickly surrounded Shulk and moved in front of the sorcerer as he attempted to hide himself in the crowd. The knight couldn't keep his eyes for Macbeth for long as he focused on the soldiers in front of him.

Now, it was Kamui's turn to make a scene. Because Cloud and Shulk started fighting the soldiers, she was able to blend in the crowd and do low profile damage in comparison. She was capable of being a silent killer after all, but she would thank Nyx for simply casting hexes that prevented the enemies from realizing that the silver haired princess was nearby. Because of Kamui, it was ridiculously easy for her to reach Barret and cut the chains on him.

"Make sure you don't harm the civilians while they're clearing out." Kamui warned him. She rolled his eyes realizing how thrilled he was to be free.

"YES! IT'S TIME TO KILL THESE FUCKERS!" He declared as he shot something in the air. So much for all of his bullets being removed from the weapon (or the fact that the promise of cutting of his arm didn't happen at all if all it took to make him ineffective was to chain his arms together).

Kamui looked over to see that Tiki was secretly leading some people toward the escape route that had no guards. This meant it wouldn't alert anymore and it allowed for the green haired Manakete to keep track of them. Nyx had hexed more soldiers from a distance making it easier for things to get done. Once Kamui was certain that she wouldn't hurt anyone, she was allowed to go all out thanks to Cloud.

While it was in Kamui's intention to not transform as much in order to scare people, she had to turn into a dragon at least once when she felt a dark presence near her. She wasn't used to nobody having her back. The dragon princess didn't have Volga or her other servants by her side, so she needed to remain a dragon to take whatever hit was meant for her. When she transformed though, that person ended up having second guesses and didn't attack her at all.

Of course, that person was Macbeth. He saw silver hair and assumed that it might have been the prince in disguise seeing as how this person had the same sword and dragonstone as him. However, once he got a good look at her face when she changed back into her human form after stomping some soldiers who got too close to her, he decided to leave. This was enough information for today. He would form another plan and make sure to get what he wanted next time. For now, it was best to let Cloud's group succeed in rescuing his friends. One of them would surely prove useful later.

* * *

While the chaos was going on outside, the King of Hoshido and Nohr continued to quarrel with each other. The topic was about what to do with the prisoners. Macbeth made his own decision with executing Tifa and Barret while keeping Bayonetta for later use should Cloud want her back. Garon wanted to kill them all if they couldn't use the prisoners to get information on Corrin's whereabouts. Sumeragi wanted to continue interrogating them seeing as how they would eventually break under pressure. Macbeth had presented the flaw on Sumeragi's part stating that if they don't get info now, then they will surely escape. They could not expect to keep Bayonetta guarded for long before she decided to kill them out of boredom. She may appear vulnerable now, but she was clearly ready to murder them in cold blood. They did not have the tools to subdue a witch of the past, so they needed to act quickly.

Because Macbeth was able to persuade people to his side on handling the remaining members of AVALANCHE, the tactician was free to do what he wanted. The Nohr siblings did not agree with this though. However, Leon and Camilla weighed their options and pointed out as long as Bayonetta wasn't killed immediately, then they should still be on the right track. Marx was not in agreement to this, but complied with his father's wishes. Elise didn't want anyone killed at all and the Hoshido siblings thought the same. It was the Nohrian soldiers that arrested the prisoners and had the right to do whatever they wanted even if Hoshidan soldiers were guarding the area with the Nohrian soldiers.

When the siblings were dismissed, the two kings bickered with each other nonstop. Sumeragi would call Garon out on trusting his tactician who was clearly abusing his trust in order to get what he wanted while Garon called Sumeragi out for not caring for Corrin enough to just sit back and let the kidnapper get away with the prince of Izumo.

"There is nowhere for this Cloud Strife person to run." Sumeragi explained. "If he is not heartless I believe him to be, he will be rushing back to save his fellow companions."

"You give that man too much credit." Garon hissed. "He has what he needs. He doesn't need to return. His friends are his pawns."

The King of Hoshido would have continued to argue had it not been for the noise outside followed by soldiers from the Izumo kingdom storming in.

"We're being attacked!" The soldier exclaimed.

"By who? Answer!" Garon shouted causing the soldier to step back in fear.

"I-I don't know! I just know is there's a beast outside and that thief is back for his friends!"

"…Beast?" Sumeragi asked.

At this point, Izana finally decided to show up to calm the soldier down. He ordered the soldier to rally up the troops before coming into the room that the two kings were in. He continued to smile happily despite the pandemonium that was occurring outside of the pagoda.

"Yo~" Izana hummed. "What did I miss?"

"Duke Izana, you are aware of what the soldier just said." Sumeragi told him. "Don't ask us when you know more than we do."

"Hmm…you got a point." Izana said with a laugh. "I should probably ask Christo to show you guys what is going on too…Christo!"

Sumeragi will never understand how Christo was able to pop up whenever Izana called him. Christo was always near Izana, so it wasn't really a surprise. In general, the assistant had this mysterious aura that made the King of Hoshido weary of him.

"…What do you want Izana?" Christo asked in a rather aggravated tone. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"You're always busy when it concerns me." Izana said with a laugh. "I need you to show the Kings the current happening outside."

"My magic isn't meant for that…" Christo grumbled as he gave Sumeragi and Garon a suspicious look. "…But if you insist…"

Christo was an incredibly secretive person. It was obvious by how he tried not to be seen by people in general and for good reasons. Powers like this would make people wonder what he was supposed to be. One could call him an oracle, but that clearly wasn't the case. He had asked everyone in the room to step back as he made a small hand symbol to create a sphere in front of them. This sphere would eventually project an image of what was occurring outside. The sphere would be best described as a telescope that allowed Christo to look in all directions of the battlefield to show what was happening.

The image portrayed was of the prisoners being rescued by Cloud and the others. Cloud showing up was enough for Sumeragi to look at Garon as if telling him, "I told you he had a heart." The other people assisting Cloud were people that they have never seen before. Izana's expression faltered though, but only Christo noticed. Christo in general was far from pleased.

 _Why is Sir Shulk here?!_ Christo thought to himself. _He should be guarding Robin back in Plegia…did Captain Pit intend for this to happen?!_

While it was apparent that Shulk would fall under the radar despite his unusual sword that he was using to fight as well as Nyx who just appeared to be a dark mage from Nohr who would be deemed a traitor by Garon, the person that caught their attention was the "beast" that turned out to be a dragon. It was the very same dragon that Corrin turned into when his emotions got the best of him. They were able to see the dragon turn back into a human and see that it was a girl that looked exactly like Corrin. It did not take them long to realize who this girl was.

"Ah! So Anankos and Kamui are alive after eighteen years!" Izana exclaimed. "What are the odds that Kamui would come crawling back?"

"…What does this mean?" Christo asked even if he had an obvious idea of what it meant.

"It seems like this Cloud Strife person has both heirs of Izumo." Izana explained. "This is such an amazing turn of events!"

Izana may have seen this as the best news to come as of late, but Sumeragi and Garon thought the opposite. They both gave each other a stern look.

"…So Anankos wasn't dead after all." Sumeragi stated.

"So it seems." Garon added.

"…We should have killed him back then when we had the chance."

"…Letting him live was a mistake."

"…Yet we spared him for Mikoto's sake and look what happened to her."

"Anankos knew. He must have killed her so we wouldn't be able to have her."

"What are you two talking about?" Christo asked. "Do you know something we should be aware of?"

The two kings kept their thoughts to themselves after Christo asked the question to his annoyance. They both knew what they needed to do. Instead of fighting with each other, they needed to combine their powers yet again concerning the return of Anankos if they expected peace to return to the land. The Invisible Dragon was nothing but bad news to them. He nearly messed everything up eighteen years ago and he was going to do it again.

Christo could only look toward Izana with a concerned look after seeing the expression the King of Hoshido and Nohr made.

… _First the witches were wiped out eighteen years ago because of these kingdoms fighting and now Valla will be attacked next. This really isn't looking good for the Invisible Continent._

* * *

When there were more allies from the outer continent assisting them, Cloud realized that things were just too easy. If he was prepared before, then Biggs, Wedge and Jesse would not have died. He had to make sure that Barret and Tifa would survive at the very least, and he succeeded thanks to Shulk and the others. The soldiers could not remove the gun that was attached to Barret so they settled with simply chaining his arm to something heavy so he couldn't move it. Without it, Barret was free to shoot up the place. Marx and his retainers were nowhere to be seen, so they wouldn't have to fight them to get out this time around. Tifa was the same. Cloud just needed to remove the ropes that prevented her from moving away from the guillotine and she was free.

Kamui had already found Flora and had run off with her. Cloud had every intention of retreating after the success rescue, but he couldn't leave yet. Bayonetta wasn't part of the execution and Cloud had vowed to find her.

"Cloud, we don't have that much time before the stronger warriors show up." Shulk had reminded him. "We need to leave now before they start to figure out our plan and where we'll be running back to."

"…Give me a few minutes." Cloud told the Plegian Knight. "I'll find Bayonetta and meet back up with you. She is very capable of warping from one location to another."

Shulk wasn't exactly convinced but allowed Cloud to rush off and find the Umbra Witch. If she wasn't being executed in the open, then they might have been trying to do something in secret with her.

Cloud wasted no time attacking a group of Nohrian soldiers who did not react to the chaos happening outside. He made sure to leave one of the three men alive so he could get information out of him. The man feared for his life after seeing the buster sword go through his comrades.

"Tell me where Bayonetta is!" Cloud demanded. "She's the witch that was arrested by you Nohrian Scum."

The soldier didn't respond fast enough, so Cloud already had his sword close to his throat.

"D-Don't kill me! I know where she is! M-Macbeth didn't want that witch dead yet so he ordered Zora to take her away!"

"…Where is she?"

"S-Still in the dungeon! You won't get in there without being caught. Y-You're better off just running while you still can!"

Cloud hated how the soldier was talking to him. The blond just dropped the soldier and impaled him in the chest when he thought he was free to go. Cloud wasn't going to leave any survivors who could call in reinforcements. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped.

"Bayonetta, you'll probably doing okay, but behave for a few more minutes. I'll be right there."

* * *

Macbeth's plan was incredibly last minute. Zora hissed how he was ordered to take a few soldiers with him, and take Bayonetta into one of the lower chambers in the dungeon of Izumo. This wasn't Nohr, so he didn't know the place well. His order was from the king apparently. Bayonetta was not to be killed. She had information they wanted and Zora's job was to extract the information from her using any means necessary. Macbeth specifically wanted the location of where Corrin was being hidden since everyone agreed that Bayonetta was in cahoots with Cloud. If any information that could be used against Bayonetta came out, then that would be great for them.

Bayonetta didn't resist against the soldiers originally when they removed the chains that stuck her to the wall. She remained wary of them wondering why they decided against killing her and leading her to another cell that was even more isolated than the one she was in. The fact they weren't talking to her only increased her anxiety if only somewhat. She kept a straight face all the way through, but the deeper portion of the Izumo dungeons reminded her of the ones that she was confined to in the past.

Speaking of confine, it wouldn't even be long until they forced her to sit down in one of the chairs that were conveniently placed in the dungeon and chain her to it. She made a fake whine when she did that, but she obviously wasn't intimidated.

"My, my? You boys don't waste time trying to get a lady to talk." Bayonetta hummed. "I wonder what you'll try to do to little old me."

Zora hissed at her condescending tone. All he needed to do was try to probe any information out of her, but this task was nigh impossible. All he had were illusion tricks that a witch obviously wouldn't fall for. He just needed to tap into the dark magic powers he had in order to do so.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. It's too early to think that nothing will happen to you." The jester hissed as his hand started to turn a dark purple color. "When I'm done looking into your past, you'll be begging for me to stop."

"Good luck amateur. You won't get a thing out of me."

"We'll see about that."

Bayonetta flinched when Zora's hand grabbed at the hair on her head. The pain was to be expected but she refused to stand down and show weakness. Zora attempted to probe any information he could use against her, but her mind seemed to be blocked. Whatever power she was holding in, it was preventing him from using the spell correctly.

"Hey, whatever you're trying to do obviously isn't working on her." One of the soldiers stated. "You need to be more aggressive!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Zora hissed. "Just stand guard to make sure no one sees what's going on."

The soldier ended up ignoring his orders and paid attention to Bayonetta's expression. Despite the slight pain from having her hair being pulled at, she wasn't worried. That needed to change. His surprise reaction allowed for Zora to get something out of the Umbra Witch.

"Why pull her hair when you can pull at her breasts?"

The soldier was behind Bayonetta when he had the audacity to grab at her breasts and yank on it. Because she didn't have time to fix the damage on her outfit, her breasts were already out in the open making it ridiculously easy to fondle them. The shriek that came out of her mouth was rather surprising and her level headed demeanor dropped for a moment. Zora was able to get an image of someone that had done the same thing to her in her past. Zora hummed as he pulled his hand away.

"I guess you can be of some use after all." He mocked as he snapped his fingers and shifted into the man from Bayonetta's memories. "Now will you talk if I look like this?"

Bayonetta's expression darkened almost immediately. "…I guess you're not exactly an amateur if you're able to dig that _**thing**_ out from my memory."

"Ehh? I'm only a thing to you? That's sad. I'm a human being…well…I think I am."

"…You can mimic his appearance, but you can't mimic his voice. What a shame. You could have got me there."

Bayonetta's attention was more focused on the soldier that wouldn't get his hands off her breasts. Even if Zora was the one threatening her, the soldier was the one that was making her fee; uneasy. She just needed to tap into her powers just once to hack those big hands off of her and she wouldn't find herself trembling.

The jester caught on to how uncomfortable the raven haired witch was with the soldier messing with her. He wondered if he would get a similar reaction. Bayonetta's eyes widened seeing the hand of the bastard from eighteen years ago attempt to reach out to her. She jerked her head instinctively, which was really bad on her end. Now they were surely going to exploit that…

"I found you."

A familiar voice was met with a powerful gust that forced Zora to move his hands away. The soldiers he Zora was with were forced to ignore Bayonetta and look at the intruder. Cloud had no time for this and simply rushed over to the soldiers and cut them down with one clean strike. Blood splattered from the deep cuts he made with the buster sword. Zora screamed seeing the buster sword pointed at him.

"You're next…"

"Eeek! Don't kill me! Macbeth's orders! I didn't want to do this!" Zora screamed as he used his powers to create a small mist before escaping. It was a weak magic trick that was meant only for running away, so Cloud wasn't surprised that the jester had an escape route he didn't know about.

"Guess I scared him…"

Cloud wanted to punch himself for letting Zora run free. Zora would repeat to his boss about what happened and things would go from bad to worse. He shouldn't focus on the jester now seeing as how Bayonetta was right in front of him.

"Don't move. I'm getting you out."

Bayonetta didn't say anything when Cloud took his buster sword and cut the chains that held her down to the chair. The Umbra Witch immediately retracted her wrists before standing up. She stretched and let out an exaggerated yawn.

"You know I could have gotten out myself." Bayonetta told him causing Cloud to groan at her response.

"Your welcome."

"What? You got to play the knight in shining armor for me. I hope you were able to save Tifa instead of waste your time helping me out."

"I already got Tifa and Barret out of harm's way." Cloud explained. "And Kamui the dragon girl…?"

"I know who she is. You forget I have been alive for a very long time."

"Right…well…Kamui has the maid with her. We need to get back to the teleporter now before the soldiers find us. I don't want to be put in a situation where I have to fight members of the royal family."

"Maybe if you didn't underestimate Prince Marx then you wouldn't be so anxious into running into the other family members."

Cloud really didn't want to put up with Bayonetta's attitude now. He needed to focus on getting out of the dungeon with the Umbra Witch and making it out to the teleporter without the soldiers finding out about it. He really could just ask Bayonetta to warp them there…

"I assume you can warp us to our location?"

"I could, but I am kind of exhausted. Why, if you brought me to a location where I could hide the teleporter, then we would be able to move without the soldiers noticing. You know I'm very good at concealing these portals."

"You play with the portals too much that you'll able to do something like that." Cloud snarked. "Now let's go."

Bayonetta was going to remind him how tired she was from the treatment she had gotten from the Nohrian soldiers, but Cloud wouldn't let her complain. Since the Umbra Witch was taking too long, he went over to her and lifted her off the ground. She gasped when she realized he had the intention of carrying her bridal style to their destination.

"If you can't walk, I'll carry you." Cloud told her. "Just tell me where you want me to go."

There was no witty retort from her this time. Cloud was wondering why she wasn't answering his question. He tried to hide his smirk realizing that he finally managed to get her tongue-tied for once. A red tint threatened to spread across her entire face if she couldn't keep it together.

"…You really should not be focusing on my safety…" Bayonetta reminded him. Cloud had a hard time hearing her despite being close to her. "…The farthest cell to your right…the soldiers have to run all the way just to get there. The portal will be gone by then."

"Alright."

Cloud expected Bayonetta to cling to him while he was rushing to the end of the dungeon and was surprised that instead of making it harder for him by forcing him to drag her around if she wasn't willing to be carried this way that she ended up wrapping her arms around his neck. If a soldier attacked them, Cloud was most definitely screwed. However, seeing as how it was Bayonetta he was with, he knew she got his back…he could only hope to be the case seeing how dazed she was at the moment. Cloud really hoped that Bayonetta couldn't hear his heart thumping and it wasn't because he was running. He would only be lucky because she was trying her best to maintain her composure. It wasn't every day Cloud got her worked up like this after all.

* * *

After being so confident that Cloud and Kamui were going to let him help during the rescue mission, Corrin ended up being taken back to Valla after all with Ava. The dragon prince was not happy. In fact, he ended up sulking near the lake the minute he returned. Ava would watch the teleporter until further notice. He was not going to disobey Shulk's command.

Azura would be the one to show up and comfort him when he was feeling down. She knew that he wasn't going to be able to actually participate and did not stop him from leaving the house. Corrin wasn't all too pleased to hear that.

"You may be a healer, but there was too much on the line if you were to actually go out and fight." Azura explained. "At the moment, you are seen as a hostage to your bodyguard Cloud from what I have heard. What do you think would happen if you were to show up when they instigate their plan?"

"They would be…overjoyed to see me?"

"Perhaps, but they would also be confused. You would be working with the person who kidnapped you. One would hope they would justify that it was your kidnapper that made you do this, but you have enemies. These enemies would use this as an excuse to try and throw you off the throne. You may have the crown in your possession…but it will not mean anything if something happens before the crowning."

Corrin knew what she was talking about. Macbeth would exploit this incident and demand that Nohr occupy Izumo until he was found. At best if he were captured, they would put him under heavy surveillance. At worse…he might be executed…

The dragon prince didn't realize he gulped at that idea.

"I hope you understand the reasoning now." Azura continued. "I know for a fact Kamui was aware of the consequences should you participate."

"Did she tell you?"

"No…I had a feeling…but knowing her…she would go out and do the same thing with less dire consequences than you."

"Oh…"

"But what will you do now?" Azura asked. "You may be able to heal, but you are still a liability to Cloud if you cannot fight."

"I can! I can use the bow!" Corrin exclaimed. "Takumi showed me how to use it."

"How well can you use it? This isn't just for hunting if you were taught even that. You need to be able to fight with a weapon and be ready to kill. If you cannot do that, then you cannot achieve your goal much less survive once you leave Valla."

Azura was being harsh on Corrin and for a good reason. From observations, the songstress could see that Corrin was the opposite of his sister. Kamui had been taught how to fight and protect herself all her life. Nature was her best friend. In comparison, Corrin was raised to be a proper prince that would rule a kingdom in the future. He was kept away from the violence even though the only way to protect a kingdom was through violence during dark times. Dark times clouded the kingdom of Izumo and Corrin was a defenseless duck. Corrin was aware of this. He had a sword that he could not use and could not even think of using the dragonstone effectively to fight those who wished to hurt him. He was too nice for his own good.

"…Azura…is there a way to get stronger?" Corrin asked. "…Is Anankos…no…is Father capable of training me?"

"…It depends." Azura answered. "He doesn't fight like you. He's a rather old dragon who needs to get outside more, but he's capable of loaning you his wisdom."

Corrin wasn't looking for wisdom. He was looking for strength. He wanted strength to be able to protect himself, his friends and his kingdom. If he didn't have power, then he might as well be a political tool for Macbeth.

"Is something the matter?"

Speaking of Anankos, the Invisible Dragon decided to leave the Dragon's Den after all if only for a few minutes. He had summoned Volga into the cave just to accompany him. Volga wasn't exactly pleased that he was called only to be an escort for a few minutes. He wasn't really thrilled to find out that Anankos bumped into Corrin and not Kamui. The fire dragon was aware that Kamui went off to fight and didn't bother to bring him along. He would have to criticize her late for doing that.

"Anankos…" Azura started before she was interrupted by Corrin.

"Anankos, I need help." Corrin began. "Please…please teach me how to use the Yatogami!"

He could have just said "teach me how to fight with a sword", and Anankos would have given him the same confused expression before realizing what he meant. Anankos frowned as a response.

"…Why?" Anankos asked him. "Your mother had made sure that you would not get your hands dirty…"

"I don't want to be on the sidelines anymore!" Corrin exclaimed. "Please, I have to do something so I'm not a liability! Please!"

Anankos wasn't too sure about that. Volga however liked the idea very much.

"…I cannot be the one to teach you." Anankos told his son. "However, I can teach you the fundamentals of being in battle. If you want to learn how to wield a weapon like a sword correctly, you can have Volga and Azura teach you. They may both be spear wielders, but they can teach you all the same."

Volga was thrilled with the idea of being able to whip the younger twin of Kamui into shape. Corrin shivered at the evil grin he gave him. Azura sighed when she was told that she would have to help.

"…Azura can fight too?" Corrin asked in disbelief.

"Yes, everyone in Valla has to be able to fight and kill if they want to survive. How do you think we lived this long without the need of going to the other kingdoms for help?"

This only convinced Corrin more that he needed to learn to fight. He was not going to be an easy target for Macbeth or anyone by that matter.

"Okay…please…please teach me…how to fight."

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 9264 words.**

 **Li: So Corrin is going to stop being a damsel now?**

 **Me: Depends on what you mean by that. He can at least fight like in canon, but he's still going to be inexperienced in comparison to Kamui. Notes!**

 **1\. So after all of that talk of Corrin being part of the team, he ended up not participating and sent back to Valla. Honestly, this shouldn't be a surprise to be able to convince Cloud and Kamui but then more people say no and then Corrin having to return. As stated above, Corrin cannot fight. He can use a bow and a staff like Mikoto's class in game, but it doesn't do him any good if no one has a bow he can work with (he ain't Pit). So it would be better for him to train with the Yatogami and the dragonstone and leave him out of the fighting (for most of this story I feel) than put him in harm's way.**

 **2\. If it wasn't obvious, Tiki is part of the Divine (light) Dragon race that can communicate with the heavenly beings. Knowing me, you should know who would be in charge of heaven even in an AU (it's the Kid Icarus cast). Tiki should be talking to Naga for advice, but I haven't (and can't) explain the heavenly system yet, but what I can say is that it's not always the same person Tiki talks to. Pit is obviously the person talking to her about what to do because as shown in Subspace Emissary, Pit is capable of watching things from a distance thanks to Palutena. Expect Pit to be brought up in due time, but his way of speaking is the same way of how Nanael from Queen's Blade speaks to Melpha (informal).**

 **3\. Okay, it was probably not intentional for Kamui's bodyguards to both are able to use a spear. Like, I didn't want Volga to be left out in this AU even though I would pair him up with Corrin. It was just convenient to make him exist as Kamui's bodyguard, but surprise! He wields a spear too and is very good in Hyrule Warriors.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	11. Conspirator

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon, Ryoma/Crimson and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy! And as of this chapter, the rating actually goes up now.**

Chapter 11: Conspirator

* * *

The portal Bayonetta made only teleported her and Cloud a little outside of Izumo. This location was close to where Bayonetta originally lived (the area that was little ways outside of Izumo and almost into Nohr territory). The area was now safe given that most of the Nohrian soldiers were stationed inside of Izumo by request of King Garon and the other Nohr siblings. If they wanted to leave Izumo, now was their chance. Shulk, Tiki, Nyx, Kamui, Tifa, Barret and Flora were all waiting for the two to make it back to them. Shulk was just relieved that there wasn't anyone following them. Bayonetta had whispered to Cloud to put her down since she was capable of walking. This was mainly to save her the embarrassment, but Cloud didn't seem to mind carrying her until he saw the look Tifa gave him that made him drop her rather quickly.

"Thanks for being a gentleman, Cloudy." She hummed as a response. "I'll be sure to ask you to carry me again when I don't feel like it."

Bayonetta was only trying to save face given how she resisted the idea of Cloud carrying her up until that point. Cloud just rolled his eyes and murmured with his usual "Whatever" before turning to the group.

"Where to next?" He asked. "Besides Valla…"

"We can't go back to Izumo…not yet." Shulk answered. "We still have things to do here unfortunately."

"…That's stupid!" Kamui stated. "Wouldn't you be recognized after what happened? Come back with us to Valla. It's safer there."

"We can't go yet…however…can I ask you to bring Ava back here, Kamui? I need him to locate someone that's in the pagoda and ask him on an update on the situation."

Kamui was clearly confused about this thus Shulk had to explain in detail who this person was.

"Thanks to Tiki, we have spoken to someone here in the past. He is a heavenly being like Pit. From what we learned about him, this heavenly being has been around for quite some time and can give us information on the situation of the Invisible Continent. It's important to know what is going on before we make our next move. As of now, we have to lay low for obvious reasons. While I think Nyx and Tiki will be fine seeing as how no one was able to detect them as far as I could tell, they clearly saw me and the Monado. They will be searching for me…"

"It is not your fault." Tiki interrupted. "You did what you could. You saw a vision that led to someone's death, correct?"

Shulk glared at Cloud as a response. The mercenary shrugged his shoulders as a response.

"Then it can't be helped." The green haired Manakete said. "I don't mind going into hiding with you Shulk…if it's okay with Nyx."

"I've been doing that all my life. This is no different." Nyx replied in a snarky voice.

"Right…" Shulk murmured. "But yeah…I trust Ava with this task. He hasn't been seen…and knowing him…he'll come up with something cunning to be able to sneak in."

Kamui couldn't think of what Ava could do seeing how bubbly he was. She didn't know Ava well enough though, so she would trust Shulk's words.

While everyone was talking, Bayonetta was creating another portal that would take them back to Valla. The one that was originally in this area needed to be removed so the soldiers wouldn't be able to find it. If Bayonetta were to place it here, the group would probably end up back at the cave area in Valla. Cloud let his friends continue talking to Shulk's group as he approached the Umbra Witch.

"You seem upset. What's wrong?"

"…I can't go back to my shop." Bayonetta hissed as a response. "All that money I made probably got confiscated by those Nohrian scum."

"Well, it's not like you were going to use that money anyway."

"Excuse you if I didn't bother to give you all of my earnings."

"It would be useful when we eventually leave the continent."

Bayonetta gave him a confused look as she finished the portal. "…We?"

"Who else? You have nowhere else to go now that the three kingdoms think that you're with me. We aren't, but it can't be helped."

"…Tch…"

"You should be thankful you're alive." Cloud suddenly said. Bayonetta stood up and glared at the mercenary as a response. However, his expression softened seeing how angry she got. "…Things would have been boring if you bit the dust before I came for you."

The raven haired witch was silent as she listened to the younger male say those words. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. She did murmur something under her breath that Cloud could not hear but he took it as an insult of some sort. He failed to notice how her cheeks were lighting up. This did not go unnoticed by Tifa though who observed them from a distance. Her expression darkened seeing the two like that. There really wasn't anything she could do though. The bartender expected there was something going on between the two, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Tifa, is something the matter?" Barret asked her.

Tifa continued to stare at the two when she spoke. "No…it's nothing…"

* * *

The group now consisting of Cloud, Bayonetta, Flora, Barret and Tifa finally made it back to Valla from the teleporter that Bayonetta made. Corrin, Ava, Azura and Volga were waiting for their return. The minute that the group stepped away from the teleporter, Corrin was so quick with rushing to them to greet them. However, when he extended his arms out for a hug, the group was surprised that the dragon prince embraced Bayonetta. She was obviously stunned by the action seeing as how it came out of nowhere, but it wasn't an unwarranted hug.

"I'm so happy that all of you are okay!" Corrin exclaimed as he hugged Bayonetta tighter. "And I'm glad that you're not hurt after what happened…"

"…You worry too much." Bayonetta responded as she awkwardly pat the dragon prince on the head. "There isn't a single human in the world that can break me."

Corrin took a while to hug the Umbra Witch causing Cloud to raise his eyebrow at the Izumo prince suspiciously as a result. Kamui wasn't paying attention because of Azura and Volga pulling her away from the group and lecturing her. Volga complained about how he wasn't allowed to go out and murder people with her while Azura complained about Kamui's obvious recklessness. Azura did pay attention to Tifa and Barret and urged them to come along.

To show that Corrin was not bias in terms of hugging, the dragon prince would soon get off of the older woman and embrace his maid instead who really needed the hug at the moment. He saw her tattered clothes and the wounds she suffered. He would need to heal her as soon as possible. He did not want her to get any infections due to his negligence.

"I am glad you are safe, Lord Corrin." Flora mumbled softly as she returned the embrace.

"That's my line! I was scared they would kill you!"

"…I thought they would too…but I'm glad Bayonetta and Princess Camilla were around to support me."

"You're safe now, Flora! Felicia and I will treat your injuries. You'll be back on your feet in no time!"

"…Felicia is here?" Flora asked. "…Of course she is."

"Yes! She's here! Why?"

"…I can't believe that after all of this time…I'm allowed to see her again."

"Yes! Yes you can! Can you walk?"

"I'm not that weak, my prince."

Corrin was still frantic with helping her. While this was happening, Kamui looked over to Ava and asked him to come along with her.

"I'm returning you back to Shulk." Kamui told him.

"You make it seem like I'm his property or something." Ava hummed. "Not like I mind the idea?"

Kamui sighed at the innuendo. "Shulk has a job for you. It concerns looking for someone that's in the pagoda."

Ava gave her a confused look, but then immediately knew who was waiting for him.

"Oh! I know who it is! Leave it to me! Take me back to Master Shulk!"

Ava ended up dragging Kamui back toward the portal before she had any saying in it. It wouldn't take long of course for her to drop him off and return so Azura and Volga let her go alone.

The fire dragon stared at Bayonetta as she started to walk with the rest of the group farther into Valla. Of course he had to start something with the Umbra Witch.

"It's been awhile since you've been allowed to walk into this kingdom, witch."

"…I won't stay for long…just until my injuries are healed." Bayonetta said rather quickly. Valla was supposed to be the safest place now that she was considered a threat to all three kingdoms above the surface. However, she had no intention of being protected. She would treat her injuries (and fix her clothes) and leave without making a sound.

Azura could tell Bayonetta was trying to keep her tough girl act on. It wasn't going to work if she started wobbling the longer she walked. Unlike Flora, she seemed to be at her limit.

"…You need more than a day to regain your strength." Azura started. "If you stay long enough, you'll be able to speak to Anankos one on one if you have questions."

"When?"

"Tomorrow at best. For now, you need your rest. I can tell from just looking at you that you haven't gotten a bite to eat or anything to drink for the past twenty-four hours. You may be a witch, but you are still human."

Bayonetta really did try to hide the fatigue on her face. Macbeth did everything to make her bend to his will. She was deprived of food and water, she couldn't sleep due to the nightmares returning to her and she was harassed by the guards. They really wanted information out of her, but they just weren't getting it. If they kept it up for a little while longer, she didn't know if she would be able to continue looking strong.

Corrin was horrified at learning this and was back by the Umbra Witch's side.

"That's terrible! How can I allow you to walk on your own now after hearing that you don't even have the strength to do so?"

"Corrin…I'm fine…"

"No, it's not okay. I'll take you back to Kamui's place…and I'll prepare a meal for you. I will take care of you until you feel better."

Azura paled immediately at Corrin's declaration.

"…You…aren't serious about cooking…right?"

"Yes, I am. Why is that a problem?"

… _Your sister is a terrible cook. Chances are you are just as bad as she is._ Azura thought darkly to herself.

"Cloud, please put Bayonetta on my back."

"I told you, I don't need-"

The silver haired prince quickly shifted to his dragon form. Cloud agreed that the Umbra Witch should not be walking if she truly was on the verge of collapse. Bayonetta weakly protested about the treatment but gave in realizing that the two males weren't going to let her walk on her own after Azura's convincing statement. Corrin offered for Cloud or Flora to get on his back, but they both declined. The group would slowly head back to Kamui's house. Azura dreaded the idea of Corrin rushing to the kitchen immediately to prepare them dinner.

* * *

Macbeth slammed his fists on the table in the room he was currently in. He could not believe that he let all the important people in his plan escape his grasp. Now things were looking grim for him. It won't be long until this group either escaped the continent or they came back in order to assassinate him. His life and career were in danger. If Zora didn't fuck up, then he probably wouldn't be in this paranoid state.

However, Zora did one thing right. It was the only reason the jester was alive now. Zora had dug deep into Bayonetta's psyche and was able to bring up someone from her past. Macbeth had asked Zora to maintain the form. He would then ask a certain someone about who this man was before he chuckled.

"Oh, that's the inquisitor Totopepe. He was a nasty one in comparison to the rest of the inquisitors."

"Oh? Do tell."

"He had a dark secret that allowed him to get the upper hand. Rumor has it that he was actually a demon in disguise of a dragon or elf that lured witches into a false sense of security before transforming and capturing them. His torture techniques were amazing. He got the information he wanted out of any witch he captured. Legend has it that Bayonetta was one of the witch's he captured. She is very fortune to be alive even though her Umbran Sisters met a horrible demise at his hand."

Macbeth was very pleased with this information.

"What will you do with this information?"

"Isn't it obvious? Should I lure her into a trap, I will replicate the scene of the past. Zora is going to help me do it."

Zora had transformed back at this point. He shivered at the idea of going along with Macbeth and this other person's plan. The implication of that story went farther than what this person was willing to talk about. The fact the person was talking in fables annoyed the jester greatly.

"I would love to sit and chat to you about the details of the first war."

"Yes, I would love to know too. What sort of details?"

"I got information on all the witches that were slain, how the war started and all the inquisitors that gave their lives to get rid of all the witches for their wicked deeds. It's still amazing how Bayonetta is still alive despite all of this. I expected her to die off shortly afterward, but I guess she's a tenacious soul. What do you expect from the daughter of a powerful witch and a heavenly being though?"

Macbeth didn't answer that.

"Are you willing to bide your time though? Remember, Prince Corrin doesn't know how or why his mother died. He's going to have to return if he doesn't find an alternate way of finding out."

"…Are you suggesting I lay a trap for him?"

"Of course! You already have a spy in the group after all. You should thank my friend for that. Plus, you also have that item that allows the prince to be spied on. You should be wary of using that now though. Bayonetta is with him. It means that she might take notice and warn him."

"I see what you mean." Macbeth smiled at the thought of the prince returning to him in one piece. "I cannot wait for his return. The next time I see him, he will be mine."

"Yes…he shall be yours." The person said in an agreeable tone. "Although, it is a shame that I have to throw the prince under the bus like this, but I do like the privilege I have obtained with him being on the run."

"How cruel of you." Macbeth said with a laugh. "Then again, I think you're cruel to tell me the real reason his mother died. If I didn't know any better, I would think we were on the same side."

"I told you, so you can use that information however way you wish. I do say though…her death is the biggest inconvenience for me. If only she had listened then things wouldn't have had turned out like this."

Macbeth continued to snicker with the person with how not sorry he was for Mikoto's death.

"Say, do you think you can give me a list of people to keep my eyes on until the time is right for Corrin to return?" Macbeth asked the person. "I want these plans to be perfect. I want to rule Izumo and I will have my sweet prince by my side."

"You know that's going to be a long hit list, right?" The person asked. "I got a list of course and you can thank my friend for that, but remember: You got to keep some people alive. Blackmailing the prince is your specialty."

"And I will blackmail the princess too once I have her twin under my control." Macbeth hummed. He could already imagine Corrin submitting to him on the bed. However, the imagination of Corrin's sister joining him underneath the bed sheets with him also made his evil grin widen.

At this point the conversation between the two ended when they heard a rustling from outside. It wasn't Zora as he was still in the room. Zora panicked realizing that there was someone spying on the conversation and he didn't notice until now. Macbeth would have panicked but seeing as how the third person in the room didn't seem to mind being spied on, chances are that this person already had a plan.

"My, it looks like there is a rat in this place."

"Don't worry. I'll get my servant to exterminate the rat before things get out of hand. Don't worry! He won't let me down. He never does."

* * *

Ava was able to get to the location needed thanks to the portals that were still lingering around the pagoda. It was amazing how the soldiers missed these oddly shaped areas that would lead to their targets. Ava took advantage of the portals hiding in the darkness in order to sneak around. The pagoda was in chaos after the rescue mission. Because it was nightfall, many soldiers were told to search every location for them even though they would never be found.

Ava already knew where he needed to be. It was risky to try to talk to this man at a time like this, but Ava wouldn't accept Shulk's request if he couldn't do it. The guards didn't know what to expect when it concerned dealing with someone of the young tactician's caliber. He was able to sneak past everyone like he was a ninja.

 _Okay, so I should be waiting on the second floor in the middle room._ Ava thought to himself as he scurried past a few more guards and slipped away before they noticed. Ava almost messed up once when he entered the pagoda due to nearly tripping over his own feet. Despite security being up, it was still possible to slip into some of the rooms and hide.

Ava had to do that in the very room that he was supposed to meet his target. The guards thought they heard something and went into the room. The room that Ava was asked to stay in was a guest room so there were plenty of places to hide. The pink haired tactician decided to be risky and hide under the bed. For some strange reason, the guards didn't bother to check the bed even if there might have been a bright pink color that was visible in the darkness. Ava held his breath as he waited for the guards to check the room and leave. One of the guards stopped in front of the bed as if he was going to check underneath it.

"Hey, what are you guards doing?" Asked a voice from the outside of the room.

"C-Christo! W-We were just…investigating the room!"

"For what? A fly? Come on! There's no one in the room. Go outside and do your job instead of wasting your time in here!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

Christo waited for the guards to leave before he closed the door behind him. He listened to see if anyone was behind the door still before turning around.

"…You can come out now."

Ava hummed as he crawled out from under the bed. He gave him the best smile he could muster despite the situation. Christo was far from pleased.

"If I wasn't there, you would have been caught. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorwee?~"

Ava didn't think he was going to get caught. Chriso sighed at how childish this tactician was. He kind of hoped in general that it wasn't Ava that was traveling with Shulk and the other tactician instead.

"…Let's make this quick. I don't want anyone looking for me and then see me with you. I already get suspicious looks as it is." Christo started.

"Oh…does that mean I can't ask about how you and Izana are doing? I missed talking to you both."

This is actually the first time Ava has ever met Christo in person. What the tactician is talking about is through divine connection. Christo sighed as he removed the headband he always wore off. The headband made him look like a demon with the red horns, but he stated he wore it to keep people away from him. It didn't mean much though given how he was clearly not a demon despite the pointy ears he had. This was due to the magic Christo used to keep the impression he was a creature that clearly wasn't human but certainly wasn't as evil demon.

"Hey, you can show your wings to me." Ava hummed. "I wouldn't mind."

"Unfortunately, if I did that, feathers would be everywhere, and the last thing I want is for someone to come in and ask what is the meaning of white feathers scattered around the room. It is easier to disguise myself as a demon or an elf to scare people instead of an angel that is meant to bless the people. Imagine if someone found out what I was during this chaos. I would hardly be considered a good angel and I blame Captain Pit for that."

Ava frowned at this. "Oh…you're mad at Pit? Why?"

"Ava…that bastard overworks me to death. I've been in this miserable hellhole for a few years now. Remember what the mission was two years ago when you came into this world. All the dragons in the world are scattered around the world and we need to bring them all to one place just to make sure that things don't take a turn for the worse. Yet, because of those stupid humans from Midgar, the plan got delayed because they couldn't even get the heirs of Izumo back to the outer continent. It's frustrating to know that this is the best opportunity to bring them back when the Invisible Continent is on the verge of collapse without a ruler. Does Captain Pit want a war? Did all the heavenly beings just decide on this without me? I barely get to talk to any of them because I'm always busy. With the investigation of the queen's death, I can't get an update on what I need to do."

Ava listened to Christo's venting and nodded his head as a response. He didn't understand all of it, but he would be able to convey this back to Shulk or Tiki if either of them asked.

"I'm sorry Christo. It won't be long though. Like you said, things are becoming interesting now."

"War is not interesting, Ava. You should know this…although I don't expect your innocent mind to realize that war is hell." Christo told him. "I just want out before war breaks out. I do not want to get myself in a conflict between humans again."

Christo hated lecturing Ava about things he should know. It wasn't Ava's fault though. He was created by accident and was still adjusting to how the world worked. Granted, it's been two years and there doesn't seem to be much improvement in terms of his mentality, but at least his stealth skills and fighting prowess has gotten better.

"…You are obviously stressed." Ava stated the obvious as he approached Christo. The turquoise haired assistant didn't know what to expect until Ava started to remove his robe. His cheeks turned red and his eyes widened horror at the action. "I can help you relieve your stress…"

"K-Keep your clothes on!" Christo shouted. "You know very well that I am not that type of person!"

"But you're stressed…"

"I'm an angel… and angels are not allowed to even be engaging in these human activities…"

"But I'm not human." Ava replied cutely as he started to snuggle into Christo's chest. "I'm a dragon."

"A dark dragon that was created…" Christo added. "That's not a good thing. You were not made to service people like that. You are a tactician just like Prince Robin and Princess Reflet."

"But people enjoy my services." Ava hummed. "You'll like my service too."

Before Christo could argue anymore, there was indeed a knock on the door. The person didn't bother to wait though for some strange reason and opened the door. Christo didn't know how to react besides stand there like a deer in the headlight.

"S-Saizo…w-why didn't you knock?!"

"You usually sense my presence before I even have to knock. I can see why you didn't sense me though…"

Christo sighed seeing it was just Ryoma's retainers that came to fetch him. If it was anyone else, they probably would have asked more questions on who he was with. Saizo may have been serious, but he still needed questions.

"…We were ordered to bring you back to Duke Izana." Kagero answered seeing that Saizo was still glaring at the pink haired boy next to Christo. "He wanted to see you personally."

"Again?" Christo asked rather annoyed. "Can't that man do anything on his own?"

Saizo huffed as he continued to glare at Ava. "And who is the kid?"

"…Can you keep a secret, please?" Christo asked as a response. "I do not need Izana having another thing to make fun of me for."

Saizo made a disgruntled noise. "…To think that even you would stoop as low to get a prostitute in times like these. You are very brave and very lucky it was only Kagero and me who found you."

"Don't I know it?" Christo murmured before looking toward Ava. "Run along now. You were able to sneak in without getting caught for me, so I expect you can run out without getting caught."

"Okay…so no service…"

"Sorry…maybe some other time. I really don't need my reputation to be run through the mud because of it."

Ava honestly looked disappointed that he wouldn't be able to demonstrate his skills in this occupation. The ninja continued to glare at Ava as he slowly tiptoed out of the room. Ava stops in order to smile to Christo.

"Good luck, Christo."

Christo blinked as Ava scurried away into the darkness. He shook his head before shrugging his shoulders as a response. He then followed after Saizo and Kagero who lead him away to where Izana was.

* * *

A woman in the Hoshidan army could be seen fleeing from the scene of the crime. The crime was the incriminating evidence that Macbeth was indeed either and he had someone she knew working with him to make Izumo belong to the evil tactician. The worse part was this person knew who killed Mikoto and how she died but chose not to say anything about it and allowed things to go from bad to worse.

The woman spy looked very tomboyish with her short, spiky blonde hair and boyish freckles. A headband was wrapped around her head in a rather nice manner. Her armor was red and spiky. It looked near identical the red armor that Ryoma wore only her class was specifically the wyvern lord class. She was ready to fight anyone who posed to be a threat to Hoshido.

Unfortunately for her, this meant fighting this person that seemed to be a cool individual despite the problems this person had. Now, this person was a threat. This person had every intention of framing this Cloud Strife person as the culprit to the queen's murder when that was far from the truth. Worse, Corrin was being set up as a marriage candidate for Macbeth so Nohr would be in control of Izumo when all was said and done. Crimson really had a hard time believing what the truth was. All she knew was the plans this person had did not benefit Hoshido in the slightest. She needed to talk to someone…specifically Ryoma about this situation, but how was she going to break the news to him? This was so sudden that he might not believe her that this person was backstabbing everyone.

"Crimson, is there something wrong?"

Crimson froze hearing the soft gentle voice of Ryoma's little sister. Looking around, she saw that she was outside of the pagoda and in the small garden section in the back. This wasn't the courtyard so there weren't that many guards stationed here.

"Sakura…why are you out so late? Shouldn't you be with our retainers and head back?"

"Eh…I was hoping to talk to big brother Ryoma about something that bothered me." Sakura admitted. The young girl stared at Crimson before looking down toward the ground. "I wanted to ask if there was any news about Corrin…"

"Oh…"

"I heard rumors that he had a twin sister and she has turned her back on her kingdom…I don't know what to believe. We were told to stay away from Izumo when I heard that the prisoners that might have been involved with the queen's murder were to be killed…so I…"

"Sakura…"

"I…I just want to be useful. That's all…I hate seeing big brother Ryoma so sad…not just him. Everyone is depressed without Corrin."

Crimson knew this. Corrin had so much influence over them. He was this never ending light that warmed people's hearts. He may not have come out as much as people would have hoped, but he carried the hopes and dreams of his people. Without him, Izumo would fall into despair especially without their queen. This was spreading to Hoshido and Nohr though who wanted his return.

"Sakura, do you know where Ryoma is?"

"I believe he's patrolling the area…" Sakura answered quietly. "Why?"

"I need to speak to him about something important. I'll probably leave to go look for him."

"I…see…"

"…Hey…can you watch over Shinonome for me?"

"Eh? I can. Why? That's so sudden…"

"Well…it's going to be a long night for me and Ryoma." Crimson said with a huge grin on her face. Sakura blushed at the implication. "I mean, I'm surprised Ryoma hasn't told his father about us yet."

"I think…he's worried…about how Father would respond…I mean…Father would love being a grandfather but at this time…"

Crimson chuckled at the thought of Ryoma trying to awkwardly explain to his father that he was in a relationship with her and had a kid behind his back. They've been hiding it for a year although it was apparent to many people in the Hoshido army except Sumeragi. She could imagine Sumeragi slapping her son across the head and yelling at him for bringing dishonor to the family before calming himself and have a normal conversation with his son about his actions. Sumeragi was a cool individual, so Ryoma didn't need to worry about being disowned for having a son who would one day become the next King of Hoshido.

"I think you should leave now." Crimson advised the young priestess. "It's getting late."

"R-Right. I'll be leaving now. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night Crimson."

Crimson waved Sakura off as the girl quickly left the garden. The reason Crimson wanted her gone was because she was worried that someone was going to approach her and ask her a few questions. Someone did indeed do it, but it was someone she could trust, so she didn't expect any problems from him out in the open where people could see what they were doing.

"Crimson, may you come with me please? I have something important to talk to you about."

"No problem, Christo. Please make it fast though. I got to meet up with Ryoma soon."

* * *

Crimson was confused on why Christo wanted to talk to her. She remained cautious in his presence. Sure, Christo was a reliable person. When Izana failed to do anything, the turquoise haired man always cleaned up after him. If he needed to talk to you personally, it was something important that he could not do alone.

"Crimson, do you have anything important to do now?" Christo asked her. "My boss is being a pain in the ass."

Crimson laughed causing Christo to groan. "Ha-ha-ha! Oh no! I don't have anything to do. You know me! I sent Sakura to look after my kid. He's growing so fast."

"…The secret child that Ryoma has yet to talk to the King of Hoshido about…"

Crimson was still smirking when she nodded her head. "Yep, I bet his dad is going to give him a long lecture when he finds out. I keep telling Ryoma to just tell Sumeragi, but I guess these dark times prevent good news from being announced."

"…But it's been a year…or two…"

"Right! Shinonome is going to grow up to be big and strong like his father someday."

"I see…"

"Christo, you need to settle down with your special someone soon. You're getting old man wrinkles already being worked to death."

Christo glared at her as a response to being referred to old. His species aged much slower and he didn't like to be reminded that he was currently suffering from an unrequited crush on a certain someone's boss.

"…I was caught with a prostitute not too long ago by Saizo and Kagero. They lost respect for me for trying to try out something new."

The blond didn't mean to laugh that hard. Christo was the gift that kept on giving when he wasn't his serious self. Christo needed to adjust his glasses so he wouldn't lose his cool.

The reality of the situation was that Christo was stalling. The agent from heaven was on a mission and he needed to do it now. Crimson was his friend, so what he was going to do next would break his heart. However, he did not want to get exposed and he certainly didn't want his plans to be ruined because Christo decided to befriend a human. Humans were disposable at the end of the day, so it was only a temporary thing anyway. At the very least, he had a confirmation that her child was far away from her at the moment.

"…Crimson…"

"Yes?"

"…What I'm about to do now is unforgivable. My boss will forgive me, but I cannot forgive myself. Please…no hard feelings."

How could Christo even say that when he did the next thing to young knight?

"Piercing Light!"

When Christo shouted that a symbol appeared in front of him. Crimson was confused at what the turquoise haired man was doing, but by the time she found out what it was, it was already too late. The symbol summoned icicles and like a Gatling gun, the icicles were fired in Crimson's direction. Christo did not count how many he shot at her, but he needed to make sure she was deader than dead.

The impact of the attack sent Crimson flying into a nearby wall. The icicles were like kunai knives that pinned Crimson's body to the wall. The icicles pierce every part of her body. She was dead the minute one of the icicles went through her chest in order to hit her heart. However, Christo went overkill to make sure she was impaled in the forehead, eyes, neck, stomach…

She was deader than dead. Crimson looked just like a voodoo doll with how her body went limp after the brutal attack. Blood gushed out from all corners of her body and dripped to the floor. Christo simply shifted his glasses again. This time, his eyes were not showing as he stared at her corpse.

"…Maybe I used too much magic…" Christo mumbled to himself. "…Not like it matters…that witch is going to take the fall for Crimson's death. Only a few people know my magic works in a similar manner as hers…"

Christo was positive he wouldn't be caught. The evidence was damning anyway. Even if Bayonetta could prove she didn't do it, Christo was still on the "right side", so it wouldn't matter. Again, Christo just hope there were no hard feelings seeing as how it was his boss that ordered the death of the spy.

"I should probably leave a note for Ryoma to show him what happens if anyone from Hoshido should mess with my boss." Christo thought darkly as he chanted something to bring up a letter filled with magical properties. He could be cryptic and write the message on the wall, but he felt like using Crimson's blood to write the message was better. He looked at Crimson's corpse one more time before he shook his head in annoyance.

* * *

Like Sakura said, Ryoma was patrolling Izumo with Saizo and Kagero at his side. After getting Christo to his boss, the two ninjas retreated back to their master. Ryoma was almost done with his job and intended to meet with Crimson soon. He was going to dismiss his retainers until he bumped into Marx who was also patrolling Izumo with Lazward and Pieri. Things took a turn for the worse as a result.

"Why are you on this side of Izumo? Shouldn't you be on the side where the witch used to live?" Ryoma asked darkly.

"Camilla has already confiscated every item that was in the shop. There was nothing of value besides a pile of gold in the back." Marx answered. "And for your information, we are patrolling the same route as you. It is not a surprise. It is unfortunate that we are on the same route tonight after what happened at the courtyard."

Oh, that was such a bad topic. Lazward didn't want to think about the aftermath. People were either knocked out or killed but more Nohr soldiers were killed then Hoshido so rumors were being spread that Hoshido had helped out Cloud and his friends in helping the prisoners escape. Lazward hated these baseless assumptions and just wanted to focus on finding the prince.

While Ryoma and Marx were having their childish banter, Lazward attempted to start a conversation with Saizo.

"Lovely night, right?" The mercenary asked as he gave him a wink.

Saizo refused to strike a conversation causing Lazward to frown at how mean the redheaded ninja was. Compare this to Pieri and Kagero who got along very well.

"I have no time to converse with Nohrian scum like you." Ryoma hissed. "I have important things to do. I am done with my patrol for the night and I expect to return to my quarters for the evening."

"Hmph…are you really going to give up that early when things have yet to settle down?" Marx asked. "Why would the dutiful son leave so early?"

"Oh, he probably wants to see a pretty lady late at night." Lazward responded with a laugh. He had no idea he was dead right. When he saw everyone giving him the glare (specifically Ryoma), he squeaked. "I-It was a joke! L-Lighten up!"

Before Lazward dug a deeper hole, a group of soldiers had run right past them. They found it odd that so many of them were moving this quickly late at night. Ryoma had to call out to them to get them to stop.

"Hey, what's the matter? See anything suspicious?" The Hoshido prince questioned.

The soldier wore a grim expression as he spoke. "There…has been a murder inside of the pagoda…"

The group could not believe their ears. It hadn't even been that long since the prisoners escaped but someone had already died. Ryoma felt his heart sink hearing these words. Something told him something terrible had befallen him.

"…Take us to the pagoda."

The soldiers had no choice but to obey. The six people had followed after the soldiers to the main pagoda where the murder took place. A crowd had gathered only because someone had screamed when they entered the room. There was more screaming once Ryoma stepped in though. He could not believe his eyes. In fact, he wanted to take Saizo's kunai and stab his eyes so he wouldn't see the gruesome sight before him.

"C-Crimson?!"

"My lord, please get back." Saizo started but was ignored when Ryoma pushed passed everyone to get to Crimson. Tears had already started to stain his eyes to see his lover in this state. "Ryoma!"

"Crimson…no…why you?! CRIMSON!"

Marx realized quickly why Ryoma was acting strange. The Hoshido prince wanted to meet with her in secret. It is unfortunate for Crimson to die before Ryoma could see her. Was this planned? Who killed her? Regardless, they needed to remove her body from the wall before coming up with a plan to track down the killer.

"Ryoma, you need to remain calm and get her body off the wall. You cannot stand there and expect us to do nothing."

The brunette didn't want to talk to anyone at that point. Marx had approached the Hoshidan prince and awkwardly reached out to pat his shoulder. Ryoma slapped his hand away immediately.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ryoma screamed as Marx backed off immediately. "I WILL FIND THE PERSON WHO DID THIS TO HER! YOU NOHRIAN SCUM BETTER STAY OUT OF MY WAY!"

The Nohrian prince was taken aback by Ryoma's outburst. Normally, he would fight back with his own retort, but Ryoma was not thinking clearly at the moment. Of course he wouldn't. His lover was just found killed in the most gruesome way possible and Marx had the nerve to ask Ryoma to remain calm.

"…Remain calm Ryoma." Marx repeated to him. "We need to carefully take her off the wall. We cannot allow her to remain in this horrible state."

While Marx and Pieri offer to help Ryoma take Crimson off the wall, Lazward stayed back trying to keep himself from going insane at the scene in front of him. He was used to seeing brutality like this, but the killer made it clear that anyone who tried to stop him would meet the same fate. Why was Lazward scared in comparison to everyone else who was filled with rage? It's because Lazward had an idea who the killer was and it wasn't Bayonetta. There was only one other person who could replicate the spell to make it look like a witch did it. He could not tattle on him now though seeing as how this is what happens to people who knew the truth.

 _I have to tell Selena and Odin though…they need to know that something terrible is going to happen really soon…and we need to decide what to do now!_

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 7998 words.**

 **Li: Crimson didn't even last a chapter!**

 **Me: Well, she dies in canon, so it's not really a surprise. At least her child didn't die with her since he's already born. Notes!**

 **1\. All that money Bayonetta has made from making clothes is pretty much gone at this point. At the very least, Bayonetta has her weapons with her, so it's not a complete waste.**

 **2\. I think this chapter should give you enough information on who the real villain of this story is. It will be revealed very soon, but I wrote it in a way that it can confuse some people depending on if you played Disgaea 5 or not. Also, you readers might want to pay attention to who the traitor could be in Corrin's group now.**

 **3\. So in this story Ryoma/Crimson is a pairing even though it's short lived. Because of how there is no other realm in this AU, expect the whole "children from the future" thing instead with the Fates characters (if any) only because it makes more sense than just throwing your baby into another dimension and having them age up to fight.**

 **4\. Piercing Light as the name implies is one of Christo's special attacks where he impales his opponent with a barrage of icicles. It's so fast that it's difficult to avoid. Since this attack is used on demons, it wouldn't necessarily kill them. Since Christo is using it on a human, she died instantly. Disgaea attacks are known for being overkill.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	12. Graveyard of Time's Memories

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 12: Graveyard of Time's Memories

* * *

 _There was a time when Bayonetta didn't have a care in the world. It was when the Umbra Clan still existed before the eighteen year war. Bayonetta was a young witch in training that had some issues with her clan. Her mother was an Umbra Witch and her father was apparently a heavenly being that was dubbed the Lumen Sage. Their union had caused problems for both clans, but not to the extreme that people thought. The Umbra Clan had attempted to set an example for all witches, but combine the merging with other witch clans and this incident and it was very difficult to keep everyone in check._

 _Bayonetta cared not for the problems her existence caused. She was going to be one of the most powerful witches in the Umbra Clan. She just needed to study and be patient. If she was the strongest, she would get the respect she rightfully deserved._

 _In the past, she had friends that supported her. They did not care about her blood heritage (some of them had it worse). They just enjoyed being around her. Bayonetta could remember all of them by name and face._

 _Jeanne was her best friend and was the future heir of the Umbra Clan. She was the first friend Bayonetta had as a child. She was strong, self-assured and overall just a huge role model for other witches. Bayonetta wanted to be like her and sometimes mimicked the way she talked, but Jeanne knew that Bayonetta didn't have the flare to be like her yet. Jeanne had already made a pact with a powerful demon and was the strongest member of the little group they had. It was why she was considered the leader of the group while Bayonetta was simply the sidekick._

 _Metallia was the Swamp Witch and self-proclaimed rival of Bayonetta. She was a short but sexy witch with golden colored hair and green eyes. No one was going to bring up that her magic was the reason why Metallia's hair went from black to gold, but bring up any of Metallia's mishaps and she would most likely kill you. She wore a fancy witch hat to go along with her sexualized outfit that consists of wearing a bra, shorts and boots. Her style was clearly different from the Umbra Witches because she wasn't considered an Umbra Witch to begin with. She was dubbed the Swamp Witch for her incredible powers that continued to get stronger with age. The Umbra Witches feared her magic, but unlike Bayonetta, they could not contain it and could only hope that Metallia would not dive off the deep end. Her mother was the Forest Witch Malia and she did all in her power to limit Metallia's actions until it got to the point where the controlling nature was apparent to others. Still, it was better for Metallia to endure the abuse rather than let her powers go out of control. Metallia was simply a little ball of resentment that might have gotten it even worse than Bayonetta._

 _Sabina was the quiet witch that many thought existed due to how her voice was non-existent. She was dubbed the Reclusive Witch due to how withdrawn she was to everyone else. She wasn't exactly an Umbra Witch. In fact, many have considered that she was a demon in disguise of a human with her ridiculously long hair that covered every part of her body including a cute pink kimono and with how she smelt like rotten meat. No amount of perfume could disguise the disgusting scent around her, so she kept to herself. Should anyone approach her, one would see she was a sweet, caring girl who would do her best to help her friends with her vanishing powers._

 _Selene was the happy go lucky witch that everyone loved. When she was talking about love, she was always encouraging those around her despite her appearance. She had lavender colored hair parted to the left and purple eyes. She wore the fanciest white dress imaginable decorated with the most expensive jewelry anyone could find. Selene even had a white hat in a weird jester like shape to cover most of her hair. She could be mistaken for a Lumen Sage had it not been for the fact she carried a lot of tools associated with witchcraft around. This included a crystal ball, a scepter and a tome that was capable of shooting lightning at her opponent._

 _Due to their closeness, they did everything together. It didn't mean they enjoyed the conversations that they had though. Take Selene for example that always went on a dreamy rant about unrealistic things like peace between witches and the citizens of Hoshido and Nohr or about romance. Romance always irked them because of how frequent the conversation was. Today was no different. Today was about romance again._

 _"So girls, do you have someone you love yet?"_

 _Selene was so blunt about what she wanted from her friends. Metallia had rolled her eyes at the question. Sabina tried her best to not be involved in the conversation and Bayonetta had no problem speaking to Jeanne and having no problem pretending that Selene didn't exist. The Moon Witch was far from happy from that._

 _"I finally perfected my spell! I can look into the future now and not just the past!" She declared as she held up her crystal ball. "Look! I'll prove it right now!"_

 _The witches would entertain the thought that Selene was capable of such a feat. She was a klutz and she had a habit of messing up her spells on a daily basis, so this would be nothing new to them. Selene had sat down and channeled her energy into the crystal ball. It would indeed reveal an attractive young lad with blond hair, blue eyes and spiky ears. He was donned in a green tunic making him look rather tacky. The witches did end up sneaking a peek and saw that. Selene squealed when she saw her prince charming._

 _"Isn't he gorgeous?!" Selene asked. "He's from beyond the continent we live on! He goes by the name Link! He's so dreamy!"_

 _"I bet you made that name up on the spot." Metallia snarked. "No way would a mother name their child "Link" like the weakest link."_

 _"M-Metallia…d-don't be rude…" Sabina mumbled softly to herself. "I…I am so glad for you Selene. H-How do you expect to meet him?"_

 _"Oh, when Jeanne's mother teaches us how to finally teleport to other places in the world." Selene answered. "Jeanne, your mother is so mean keeping us all here."_

 _"She will teach us advance skills when we are ready." Jeanne reminded her. "In the meantime, I think you should not get your hopes up with that spell. You don't want to finally meet him and he ends up being taken already."_

 _"No way! This spell finds your destined partner!" The lavender haired witch declared. "Girls, let me tap into who you like and I'll get it right! Sabina, do you have someone you like?"_

 _The reclusive witch blushed at the thought but then slowly shook her head. "N-No…there isn't anyone I like…"_

 _Selene hummed as she went over to the shy witch and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay! You can tell me! I won't laugh!"_

 _"N-No…I mustn't…I…I am too hideous to look at…"_

 _"That again?" Bayonetta asked rather annoyed. "Sabina, sweetie, all you need to do is move your hair out of your face. Men would be swooning all over you if they got to see your face."_

 _"H-Huh?! I-I'm not pretty!" She squeaked. "C-Compared to everyone else...I'm just a gross recluse…"_

 _Metallia wasn't pleased with Sabina putting herself down. "Sabina, what did I tell you about being hard on yourself? As much as Cereza is usually wrong, what she's saying now makes sense. Have more confidence in yourself. Selene is obnoxious, but you have got to stand up for yourself if you don't want her prying into your love life."_

 _Sabina blushed madly as a result. Selene and Bayonetta weren't all that pleased with the insults thrown their way._

 _"I think you should follow your own advice." Jeanne teased causing Metallia to growl as a response. "You like that inquisitor, do you not?"_

 _Metallia's hair showed off more emotion than her facial expression. Her hair stuck straight up and formed a red vein that put her anger in the spotlight._

 _"Who the fuck would like a bitch like her?!" Metallia hissed. "Why would any witch want to fall in love with an inquisitor! That's like a witch falling in love with a Lumen Sage."_

 _Bayonetta sighed as a response to that. "You really like taking jabs at me whenever you have a chance..."_

 _"Hmm? Say something half-breed?" Metallia growled. "Anyway, bringing up Visco isn't going to make me all lovey-dovey like Selene is over there. The fact she's drooling over an elf is gross…"_

 _"It's nothing…Lia…"_

 _"IT'S METALLIA! Garhh! You never get my name right!"_

 _Bayonetta didn't really hear Metallia's complaining after that. She wasn't really interested in this love topic that Selene got everyone started on. She simply wasn't interested in romance at the moment. The young witch was more concerned with trying to earn the approval of the Umbran Elder. The only way to do this is to make a pact with a powerful demon soon. She had to demonstrate that she was capable of handling herself as well as show that she would not be a burden to the Umbra Clan like she had shown to be in the past. It was difficult to do anything as a witch because the Umbran Elder had so little respect for her, and she wasn't going to ask Jeanne to help her out. She had to do this herself._

 _Metallia had laughed at her when Bayonetta had brought it up in the past. The Swamp Witch had declared that she shouldn't expect to summon a powerful demon from hell without dire consequences. The raven haired witch knew this but ignored the blond witch in favor of researching the demon who would be her lifelong partner. Jeanne encouraged her best friend to do her best and Bayonetta would not disappoint her. Sabina and Selene had her back too, but Selene was still more concerned about talking about love._

 _"Cereza, are you going to tell me who you like?"_

 _Bayonetta was the new target of the Moon Witch's harassment. Pushing her glasses up, Bayonetta sighed as she tried to move away from the shorter girl._

 _"Selene, not now…"_

 _"Aww, come on! Let me show you that my magic is legit!" Selene cried. "Please!"_

 _"I don't like anyone, so it would fail."_

 _"Then I'll show you who your true love is in the future!"_

 _Before Bayonetta could protest, Selene had already grabbed a hold of her hand and forced her to touch the Moon Witch's crystal ball. She did in fact feel her magic being zapped out of her body. Selene hummed as she was able to project an image of who was Bayonetta's true love. Selene gasped at what she saw though._

 _"Oh, how…odd."_

 _"Did your spell end up being a bust again?"_

 _"I see two people in my crystal ball!" Selene declared. "They're both really handsome men! Oooooh! One of them has spiky blond hair and looks soooooo serious! The other is an adorable precious thing! I don't know if this man is supposed to be an elf or a dragon or what!"_

 _This caused Metallia and Jeanne to eye Bayonetta suspiciously. The raven haired witch was clearly confused at what Selene was describing. She ended up stealing the crystal ball to look at who these men were. They were both very attractive as Selene described and her heart did race when she saw them…but she didn't know who these men were…_

" _But is it a love triangle?" Selene wondered out loud. "I never got two people in the same image before…"_

 _"Sounds like a threesome." Jeanne joked causing Bayonetta to drop the crystal ball. Selene screamed as she caught it before it hit the ground. "Oh, what's the matter Cereza? You didn't like how I used that word?"_

 _"Jeanne…that's not funny…" Bayonetta hissed. "You know how polygamy is seen around here…it's almost like you want the Umbran Elder to hate me even more than she already does…"_

 _"Cereza, it was just a joke. You shouldn't take Selene so seriously." The platinum blonde haired witch stated as she looked down toward Selene who had stood back up and brushed her crystal ball off._

 _"Way to throw my talent under the bus Jeanne…" Selene groaned. "My magic isn't a bust…"_

 _Bayonetta was still upset with those words. In the back of her mind, Selene was usually right about her fortunes. She would never admit it out loud to Metallia or Jeanne or she would never hear the end of it. This was why she didn't want to say anything after that concerning romance._

"… _I need to practice."_

 _Bayonetta had proceeded to leave her little group, but Jeanne had grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her to the side. She could still see the distressed look her friend had._

" _Cereza, you don't need to focus on what Selene is showing you now. You just need to focus on perfecting that pact."_

" _I know that…but if you think that I am having a secret rendezvous with two men I have never met in my life…"_

 _"Geez, Cereza…you take things too seriously."_

 _"…Or maybe you're just really laid back because you're the next heir."_

" _Look, you can laugh at me if it turns out that these two men end up being your love interests in the future. Heck, I'll do anything you want if it turns out to be true. I'll even apologize for making fun of the idea because you're stuck in some love triangle."  
_

"… _Why is the apology the last thing you'll give me?"_

 _Jeanne didn't answer that. She just smiled as she patted her friend on the head. This caused the raven haired witch to get extremely upset with being treated like a child. Jeanne just laughed at how riled up Bayonetta was being._

" _Just do your best. We're all rooting for you."_

"… _I know…thanks."_

* * *

Bayonetta slowly opens her eyes. Compared to the last dream she had concerning her past, this dream was rather relaxing in comparison. Bayonetta was noticing that she was having more dreams concerning her friends as of late. What was triggering these types of dreams in the first place? She thought she moved on, but her dreams said otherwise.

As the Umbra Witch shifted in the bed she was lying in, she picked up immediately that the injuries she suffered while captured were healed. She also noticed there was something heavy on her legs when she sat up. Her expression darkened expecting the worse, but caught a glimpse of silver hair on top of her and sighed.

"You have a lot of guts sleeping on top of me like this."

If her injuries were gone, it was because of the dragon prince sleeping on top of her. He was serious when he said he was going to patch her up. She resisted him the entire night not wanting him near her. Her injuries would heal with time. However, Corrin was very adamant about healing her. The fact he waited for her to fall asleep to heal her showed how worried he was for her. Of course, there were some creepy implications for the Umbra Witch. In order to heal her successfully to the point of no wounds, she would need to be naked and for the staff to be touching her. When she was asleep, she powered down due to the excessive amount of energy she was using in general (for a specific reason). Corrin could easily tear off certain parts of her outfit to heal the wounds. Bayonetta could confirm he did this too with how some parts of her skin were showing. Due to the darkness, no one would be able to see the heavy blush that crossed her face.

"…Wake up. I'm not a toy for you to cuddle with."

Of course Corrin fell asleep. He may have been a great healer, but healing a witch of Bayonetta's caliber without waking her up was another story entirely. The dragon prince had intention of leaving after healing her, but he ended up falling asleep due to spending most of the night healing everyone that had returned to Valla.

When Corrin refused to move, the Umbra Witch decided to push him off of her. He let out a surprised gasp when his head crashed to the floor. He stood up immediately.

"W-What?! Are we under attack?!"

"Oh, we're going to be under attack alright. If you keep intruding into people's room and sleeping on top of them…"

"What?! N-No! I'm not like that!" Corrin exclaimed. He failed to notice that Bayonetta was teasing him slightly. "I…I was worried for you! Cloud told me where exactly your wounds were and I treated them! B-But I got tired and fell asleep. I swear I didn't do anything perverted!"

"Hmm? Then explain to me why the area around here was ripped. Cloud should know I wasn't injured _**there**_."

Bayonetta smirked seeing Corrin pale when she said this.

"N-No way…I didn't…"

The small giggle that escaped her lips finally made Corrin realized he got duped. He snarled as he turned away from her.

"Boy, you are one gullible prince." She hummed. "But at least you're not the type to take advantage of a lady in her sleep."

"W-Who would do something like that?! I just wanted to heal you. Cloud and I were worried for you…"

"Oh…"

"B-Besides, I did this to Cloud too and then went to you! He was hiding some injuries too! He thought I wouldn't notice!"

Corrin would rather ramble then deal with the fact that the dragon prince thought of something perverted when Bayonetta brought up that she wasn't wearing anything underneath her outfit that would cover her crotch. While he did rip off certain portions of her clothes to heal her, he certainly did not look in that area. That wasn't a place that Cloud said she was injured by. Whip markings were obvious anyway.

"You worry too much." Bayonetta told him. She had no problem repeating the same phrase she told him the minute she was taken back to Valla. "These injuries would have healed on its own."

"…I don't want you walking around with those injuries though." Corrin murmured. He wasn't looking at her when he said this. He would turn around and fold his arms in irritation. The crossed look he had was to hide the fact he was still blushing from the naughty implication. "…If you were to leave while still having those injuries, you would only be more hurt. It would be better to treat them now then those injuries get worse. A healer's job is never done until they are certain their patient is in perfect condition to leave. Fortunately, your injuries weren't as bad as Flora's, so it was easy to do…"

Of course, that wasn't necessary true. Corrin had never worked on a witch before. Healing Bayonetta drained him so much hence why he fell asleep on her. Bayonetta knew this and sighed.

"You're starting to remind me of an obnoxious friend I once had." Bayonetta started. "She was always a worry-wart and telling us to take care of our health."

"Huh? Who?"

"Selene…" Bayonetta answered before she shut her mouth. Corrin expected her to continue talking, but she wasn't going to pour her entire backstory to him…not yet. Still, it did annoy her that Selene's fortune from eighteen years ago came true. She would meet a man with spiky blond hair and a youthful boy with silver hair. Selene clearly exaggerated when she said they were people she would fall for. Jeanne had joked about it, but Bayonetta didn't believe it. She was incapable of love and felt nothing for the two. At the very least, she knew she could trust them.

"Bayonetta?"

 _…But I have to rely on them._ Bayonetta thought darkly to herself ignoring Corrin calling her name. _I don't want that. I've survived this long on my own without the need of anyone to depend on._

And yet…despite those words…she was reminded that she had depended on Cloud for two years now whether she wanted to admit that or not. She had saved him first when he first walked onto the Invisible Continent's soil, but then he would return the favor rather quickly. They had a mutual business relationship. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Corrin, sweetie…" Bayonetta started interrupting whatever Corrin was saying. "What time is it now?"

"Umm…it's past midnight." Corrin answered. There was no clock here, but judging from how high the moon was in the sky, it was easy to tell what time it was.

It was already that late. Bayonetta lost track of time during dinner, so it shouldn't have had come off as a surprise. She sighed as she slowly got off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Corrin asked with a confused tone.

"I'm going out for some fresh air. It won't take long."

"But…"

"If you think I'm going to leave Valla, don't worry. I'm taking your advice and not leaving immediately. I still need to talk to your father after all."

"Oh…then…please take care of yourself. I don't want to hear that you collapsed."

Bayonetta used her magic to fix her outfit. Corrin couldn't fix it obviously, so she had to do it herself. The silver haired prince could finally see how she was able to repair her outfit. Bayonetta's hair was actually used to fix her suit. The hair would wrap around her body and then repair the places that were ripped. Her body was bathed in a purple light as she used her magic to do so. Again, Corrin was mesmerized by her beauty. The stories he heard about witches were always negative and meeting one was a sign of bad things to come. While misfortune came his way, Corrin never thought it was caused by the Umbra Witch. She has been nothing but helpful to him so far in this small quest to find the truth about himself (and his mother's killer).

"Like what you see?" Bayonetta asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes…I mean…no…I mean…"

Bayonetta let out a small chuckle as she dismissed herself from the room leaving Corrin dazed and flustered.

* * *

Bayonetta said she was going out for fresh air, but that wasn't exactly what she was going to do. Once she walked outside of Kamui's place, she checked her surroundings to see if anyone else was walking around this late at night. Besides the few soldiers that were still on patrol even this late into the evening, she could conclude that the most important people have already gone off to sleep. Bayonetta was capable of not making any noise in the house and was surprised Corrin didn't wake anyone up either. She didn't notice that there were some people missing in Kamui's house though. Her mind was thinking of something else. She looked toward the Dragon's Den and made a decision. She was going to speak to Anankos now when everyone was asleep so no one would see her upset when she came out. She knew the Invisible Dragon was going to piss her off in some shape or form, so she might as well deal with it now. There was no way Anankos was sleeping anyway.

Cloud was one of the people that was still awake after midnight. He couldn't sleep and decided to walk around Valla to clear his mind before he went back in. Once he saw Bayonetta walk toward the Dragon's Den, he knew he had to follow her. He was far from pleased she was still walking around despite her injuries.

The first thing Cloud hears when he walks into the Dragon's Den is a long string of apologies coming from the Invisible Dragon. Bayonetta had already struck up a conversation with the shy dragon and was far from pleased with how he was acting.

"I am very sorry." Anankos apologized again. "I wish I could have helped you during the witch hunt."

"You haven't helped me for eighteen years. I find it very hard to believe you are sorry." Bayonetta hissed. "If you were sorry, you would know that Metallia did not murder Lilith! You believed what the humans said and refused to lend a helping hand. You could have saved the Umbra Clan, but you didn't."

"…Cereza…"

"You weren't even there when your daughter was killed! Why would you believe the kings of those other countries over what the Umbran Elder and everyone else tried to tell you?!"

Cloud wasn't used to Bayonetta losing her temper and for good reasons. She kept her emotions in check and when she was angry, she showed it in a different way. She made you scared by simply giving you a death glare. Misfortune would find people who had angered her in the past. This was different. She was letting her emotions get the best of her about her past. Cloud didn't even want to speak up and have Bayonetta realize that she wasn't alone with the Invisible Dragon.

Anankos was far from pleased either at Bayonetta's accusation though. His apologetic expression disappeared and became rather cold in comparison to his default one.

"…I may not have been there when my daughter was murdered," Anankos began, "but I do know that Metallia is guilty of being the reason for the humans turning on you witches."

"She didn't do it! It was that demon!"

"…The demon that Metallia made a pact with killed my daughter because she lost control of him. What more do I need to know?"

"But that demon was…"

"Even when you know the truth, you continue to defend your friend, Cereza." Anankos spoke. "I hate to use the term Stockholm syndrome when concerning you and Metallia, but that is how I view your situation with her."

The Umbra Witch flinched at the term used. Metallia wasn't a nice person, but their friendship was not one-sided. They had a clear rivalry, but that didn't mean that Metallia hated her!

"You take that back what you said about me." The raven haired witch hissed as she finally decided to reveal her weapons to the Invisible Dragon. "I'll make you regret it!"

Anankos wasn't exactly impressed with her attitude at the moment. Bayonetta wanted some sympathy, but she was willing to threaten him to get it all because he knew the truth of how the Swamp Witch was. Everyone was aware of how messed up Metallia was, but Bayonetta chose to ignore how messed up that golden haired witch was in favor of a friendship they did not have.

The weapon she had did not originate from the Invisible Continent. That made sense. The witches had vast knowledge of things outside of the continent. They made a living here due to the problems that the outer continent had concerning them. It would make sense for a witch to have a book on modern weapons from places such as Cloud's home and then try to replicate the weapon with their magic. That's what Bayonetta did. She found a picture of a weapon called a handgun and used her magic to replicate it. It wasn't as strong as she would like to hope but a kingdom that was stuck in the past would not be able to handle a weapon like this. She had four of them in the past, but overtime, they started to wear out until she had two left. They could break at any moment, so she chose to use them only when she needed to. This situation should not have been one of them.

"Put your weapon away." Anankos told her harshly. "Shooting me isn't going to bring your clan back."

"You-"

"I would think that eighteen years would allow you to learn that revenge doesn't change anything. It only brings more bloodshed. Why do you think I have yet to take revenge for the death of my eldest daughter and now my wife?"

"Bastard, you still have someone you can call a family! Don't tell me what to do!"

"…That's enough Bayonetta."

Cloud finally decided to step in. He didn't like seeing her like this at all. The Umbra Witch gasped as she turned her attention to Cloud.

"…It's rude to eavesdrop." She snarled as she saw him approach her.

"…You're starting to let your emotions get the best of you." Cloud reminded her. "You told me in the past that you can't let people see you in a state they can take advantage of you…you're not taking your own advice."

Bayonetta shook her head as she continued to point her silver handguns at Anankos.

"…If Anankos dies, the entire foundation falls. The Umbra Witches would be avenged and then the rest is history." Bayonetta mumbled darkly. "I observed your other daughter…Kamui was it…she would never want to take your place here. Your son wouldn't either. They would rather be free and you're near the end of your long lifespan. I might as well kill you now."

Cloud wasn't going to allow it. Now, he decided to stand in between the Invisible Dragon and his witch companion. She was far from pleased with his actions. If she fired the shot now, he would be killed. Cloud knew she wouldn't kill him though. She would come to her senses very soon.

"Stop this now." Cloud ordered causing her to flinch at his tone. "If you're going to extract your revenge, do it when I'm off the continent. I have no intention of dying on this god forsaken continent."

Cloud made it clear on multiple occasions that he refused to die on the Invisible Continent. He needed to let his other friends back at home that he was still alive despite the mission being an absolute failure. The last thing he wanted was to break their hearts. Bayonetta hissed at being reminded by this and finally put her handguns away.

"It won't matter." Anankos spoke up breaking the tension between the two people in front of him. "I will die soon anyway. It does not matter if it is by Cereza's hands or from someone else's. My death is near."

Cloud was puzzled by this. "…Explain."

"I am a powerful dragon capable of seeing the future." Anankos began to clarify. "It does run in the family that we have dreams that can foresee the future. Unfortunately, because I am the Invisible Dragon, I can clearly see I will meet a gory end for my incompetence as a ruler of the Invisible Continent. That…is fine with me. As long as my children are still alive, I am okay with dying. I am aware that they will not want to live on the Invisible Continent for long. These visions I see of my children show them happier off the continent exploring to the world's end. However…it's why I must ask you two to look after them for me and make sure they survive…especially Corrin."

This was a rather big revelation. Bayonetta only got two things from this. It did not matter what she did, Anankos was dead soon anyway and he wanted her to fulfill his last request and look after her children specifically Corrin. She hissed as a response because she did not want the man who failed to lend a helping hand to her clan asking her for help. This would be her revenge by not helping Corrin and letting him die. Unfortunately, she had grown rather attached to him, and he did not warrant the hate that his father did. She assumed that Kamui did not need the help since she has been raised to be a powerful soldier capable of handling herself. Not to mention she had at least four bodyguards in comparison to Corrin who only had one left after what happened to Gunter.

"I'm sorry to ask but I see how you two care about my son…and I had to ask you to look after him."

"Who said we cared about him?" Cloud asked rather annoyed at the implication. "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time and we decided to help him. It's not wrong to help someone who is being targeted by an evil man."

"No, but…"

"Even if I were to protect him and take him off the Invisible Continent, my only goal is to return home. I don't care what he does afterward. However, your son is stubborn like you from what I see. He's not going to leave until he finds the truth about his mother. That means that we're stuck until he figures everything out."

Cloud was right unfortunately and Bayonetta hated that. Instead of talking back to the Invisible Dragon, she proceeded to leave the Dragon's Den. The blond realized the conversation was gone and proceeded to follow her.

"…Tomorrow I intend for you to make a pact with my son." Anankos spoke up. "Please return tomorrow. I promise it will be worth it."

"For who?" Bayonetta asked.

"All three of you." Anankos answered. "I will explain in better detail what the pact is. My daughter already made a pact with those she trusts with her life. I believe my son can benefit from the pact like you two will."

Anankos sounded so certain the pact would benefit them. It did peak Cloud's interest. Bayonetta wasn't so sure in comparison. There was always a cast.

"We shall see…"

Bayonetta was so quick to rush out of the den that Cloud had to run to keep up with the Umbra Witch.

* * *

There weren't that many places for Bayonetta to run in Valla. She may have been in the kingdom before, but she didn't remember where everything was. As a result, she ended up at the lakeside where it was easy for Cloud to catch up to her.

"What has gotten into you Bayonetta? You've been acting weird ever since I got you out of Izumo."

Bayonetta had no intention of answering Cloud originally. However, he would be persistent with nagging her if she didn't talk to him.

"Are you daft, Cloud? Have you not noticed that the Invisible Continent is near the end of its lifespan? Soon the Invisible Continent will be a shell of its former self."

"I can clearly see that. Why?"

"We need to leave before we go down with the continent."

"I know. We can leave now if we wanted to. I could just lead the group to where the ocean is. There should be a boat waiting for us."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes at what Cloud wanted to happen, but at the moment, without Shulk's group, there was no way they were going to leave. Cloud knew that there was a sailor that was waiting for Shulk's return, so the minute everything was resolved, the sooner they could leave this god forsaken continent. Also…

"But the prince isn't going to leave the murder case like this." Bayonetta told him. "I'm pretty sure the toll to leave the continent is making sure that the prince and princess of the Invisible Continent come along with you."

"…I wouldn't be surprised." The blond admitted. "…Until the kid finds out the truth about his mother, he's going to be stubborn…"

"It shouldn't be too hard to find the truth. There are only so many people who could have killed her that night."

"I know…but even if he finds out, that doesn't mean he'll want to leave…"

"…We're just going to have to put up with it…"

Bayonetta wasn't really happy when she said that. Cloud just shrugged his shoulders as usual.

"You shouldn't worry too much about it. I'll be getting you and my friends out of this place if it's the last thing I do."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Bayonetta reminded him. "Although…it does sound nice that you're offering to protect me."

"I never said…" Cloud growled realizing that the Umbra Witch went back to teasing him. He needed to change the subject. "…Never mind…"

Of course, Cloud couldn't change the subject. Instead, he decided to take a seat next to the lake hoping Bayonetta would join him. She would, but it wouldn't be for long. The raven haired witch expected Cloud to say or do something to break the silence, but he chose not to. He was just really bad at starting a conversation.

"…Cloud," Bayonetta began, "if you were put in Corrin's shoes, would you delay leaving this awful place?"

"I can't sympathize with him unfortunately." Cloud said rather quickly. "I didn't have a good relationship with my mother…or my parents in general. I would have said "good riddance" and left. I don't like my parents affecting my current decisions."

Bayonetta only nodded her head as a response. She could somewhat understand what Cloud was talking about with not caring about his family. However, Bayonetta loved her mother dearly and if she was in the same situation as Corrin, she would find her mother's killer and end his or her life. The same would not be able applied to her father though that she loathed dearly. She didn't know who he was or what he looked like, but she knew she hated him with a passion for abandoning her and her mother when she was born. Even when the witch hunt took place, he never returned to assist her. This alone told her that her father hated her existence and wanted her death with her mother.

"…I think I would probably do the same thing as the prince is now." Bayonetta admitted quietly to herself. Cloud was able to hear her due to how quiet Valla was at night.

"So, you would stall too even though you hate this place?"

"…If it was for my mother then…"

Cloud let out a huge sigh as a result. Bayonetta glared as an immediate response.

"If you're asking me if I would stay longer for you like I am for Corrin, then yes. You're my friend, and I don't abandon my friends…even if their heads aren't on straight."

"Cloud…"

"Besides, I want to stick around to hear about this pact that is supposed to make us more powerful."

Something told the mercenary that things probably weren't that simple. Cloud simply didn't want to lose against someone like Marx again. He was able to deal with these weak grunts with relative ease due to his ability to sneak past them and get the upper hand. Bayonetta probably got by with similar methods. If they had power, they wouldn't need to hide out as much.

"But…that's for tomorrow." He continued. "…We should probably sleep."

"…We should…" The Umbra Witch agreed but she didn't move from her spot. She waited for Cloud to say something else before she slowly stood up. "…My beauty sleep is important."

Cloud suddenly felt cold when Bayonetta began to head back without saying anything else to him. He should have just joined her in heading back to the house. Instead, he found himself standing up and reaching out to grab onto her hand.

"Hold on!" Cloud shouted catching her attention.

"…What?"

Bayonetta's voice was rather soft when she stopped walking. She was puzzled by his random shouting and expected more from him. Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he ended up pulling the taller woman toward him. She obviously wasn't expecting this and nearly fell onto him. Cloud was certain she did something to prevent the two from falling into the lake together. Bayonetta was far from pleased.

"…My…aren't we feisty tonight..." She hummed. Even though she sounded happy, she was trying to pull away from Cloud. "If you want to cuddle with me, let's take it to the mattress inside."

The Umbra Witch giggled hearing Cloud sputter out a response. He ended up letting go of her hand leaving the both to stare at each other in silence.

"Sorry…I forgot what I was going to say."

"Hmm…you should probably get some sleep then."

The thing Cloud wanted to talk to Bayonetta about was on the tip of his tongue. At the moment, he was simply incapable of telling her something important. Bayonetta was demonstrating that she was an impatient person and left the blond behind when he didn't speak up. As she retreated back to the house, Cloud would let out a pathetic groan before finally following after her. Cloud failed to realize that Tifa noticed that something was up with her friend and attempted to talk to him. Upon seeing him with Bayonetta, she decided to stay in the shadows and wait to be noticed. The two did not notice her presence at all thus she was left in the darkness to think about the scene that had occurred in front of her. Her expression molded into something of absolute despair.

"Cloud…you…"

* * *

A few hours later, Cloud still couldn't find it in himself to sleep. He could blame the fact that he had to sleep on lounge chair downstairs instead of the bed. By process of elimination, Cloud got the short end of the stick. Corrin was Kamui's brother so she gave him a bed. Bayonetta was injured so she also got a bed and then of course Flora who was also injured. The last bed was either for Felicia or Azura as Kamui was willing to go to the vacant house with the other guys (and Tifa). Cloud had a choice of either going with the other guys or staying on the couch. He chose to sleep on the chair for the sole purpose of watching over the weak and the injured. It only sucked for Cloud because he got a bed the previous night, but gave his bed to Bayonetta. Now he would be paying for it by not getting any sleep.

Knowing he wasn't going to get any sleep, Cloud decides to leave the house now. However, before he did, he crept upstairs to check the rooms. The only rooms he looked into were the ones that Bayonetta and Corrin were staying in. Both of them were out like a light. Cloud sighed in relief that they wouldn't be sneaking out of the house. The blond went back downstairs and out the door. He headed back to the lake to continue thinking about what to do next.

The lake location was currently occupied now. Cloud saw someone was practicing their martial arts near the lake. The blond smirked knowing who could be training this early in the morning when the sun wasn't up yet.

"You're up early, Tifa."

The bartender jumped hearing Cloud's voice. She didn't look too happy to see him.

"I could say the same for you Cloud."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't sleep. But at least the prince and Bayonetta are fast asleep."

"I see…"

"Why are you up early? I would think you would spend this time resting like Barret is."

"…I can't sleep. I need to train so I'm not a liability to you again."

The mercenary didn't like the way the bartender was talking. "Why would you say that? Are you upset that you were caught by the Nohrian soldiers?"

"There is that…" Tifa began, "and then there is the fact we lost Biggs, Wedge and Jesse. If I was stronger, then I would have been able to knock Marx's retainer away and save them."

Cloud wondered if it was possible to save them. They underestimated Marx, Lazward and Pieri simply because they did not have modern weapons. People who lived in the past were easy to murder due to their lack of knowledge. However, Tifa saw that Lazward was aware of how their weapons worked and was able to work around it. The Nohrian soldiers with them might have been killed rather easily, but the main fighters proved fatal for AVALANCHE. Now it was just Cloud, Tifa and Barret that were survivors of the war two years ago. Cloud would count one more person, but that man was dead to him and he didn't want to talk to him anymore did then he had to.

"You don't need to blame yourself." Cloud told her as he continued to watch Tifa punch the air. "I was at fault too. I underestimated Prince Marx and was forced to rely on Corrin and Bayonetta's interference. That is the only I made it out alive. I am fortunate that they decided not to kill you or Barret."

"…They wanted information on you." Tifa murmured. "I kept quiet. I would never throw you to the dogs."

"Of course you wouldn't. You care too much for me." Cloud told her. "You don't need to do that though. I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"I know you can but…" Tifa sighed before changing the subject. "Things have been moving so fast."

"…Yeah…"

"We've been on the Invisible Continent for two years now. After we failed our mission, we have hidden ourselves away in Izumo hoping to raise enough money to be able to leave without causing a scene."

"…That's hard given my occupation." Cloud snarked. "I'm still surprised that Barret didn't even get on their radar with how scary looking he is."

Tifa didn't find that funny and continued talking as if Cloud didn't say anything. "Those days seemed like eternity. Nothing changed…but we got closer to our goal every time you asked Bayonetta for helped."

"Well yeah…she usually found some job for me to do. Would have been great if she gave me her entire stash, but now that's been confiscated…permanently."

"…"

"It doesn't matter. Once we finish up here, we're going to head to the dock and get back to Midgar. We need to report what transpired on this continent."

Tifa really didn't like that idea. "Is that really a good idea? Wouldn't we…get killed if they found out we failed?"

"No…because I have an idea."

"What?"

"Look, I have a list of things I need to do when I get off this continent. I'm going to have to tell Queen Zelda about Link's untimely death that she's going to blame me for. I have to make sure Petta hasn't been thrown into the orphanage yet because her father was killed in action. And…I have to break the news to Sharla too about her fiancé."

It was just a plethora of bad news. There were so many people that were with Cloud at the start of the mission…that the fact the group was reduced to six people and then three just showed how the Invisible Continent was cursed. They really needed to leave before there wasn't anyone left to tell the tale.

"Is it really a good idea though? Their friends and family are grieving and telling them what happened will mean…"

"It's better to tell them the truth rather than leave them in the dark. Two years without any sort of communication must hurt."

"I know but…"

"There will be some good things that come from this. Aerith won't have to worry her socks off for us once she sees we're not dead. Barret can go back to Marlene and I can finally show Corrin and Bayonetta around."

Tifa didn't realize she glared at Cloud when he said that last part. He was listing a bunch of positive things that would happen once they returned, but none of them included her. Yes, she would be home and she would continue life as if the mission didn't happen. Addressing Corrin wasn't even a problem. It was mentioning Bayonetta in his lists of positives that irked her.

"Cloud…can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"What is your relationship with Bayonetta?"

"Uhh…not this question again…"

"I'm serious. What is going on between you two? You said you two were just business partners or you say your friends when in your better moods. When you're done with your mission, you're always talking about her as if nothing happened that day unless it's with her. If you like her, just say it."

"I don't!" Cloud shouted causing her to jump. "It's not like that. We're just friends…"

Cloud was already getting defensive from the question. Tifa did have the right to know seeing as how the blond was aware that he might be leading her on. However, a part of him refused to admit that the day he met the Umbra Witch was when he started to see things in a different light. He thought this was the case when he met Aerith, but Bayonetta was just different. If it wasn't for her…he would have ended up a casualty like everyone else who ended up on the mission. So maybe…there was something there…

"…Why are you telling yourself this instead of me?" Tifa asked as she folded her arms. "Are you scared of making me mad or you being prideful again?"

"Why would you be mad? I told you the truth!" Cloud snapped. "Honestly…how many times do I have to say we're friends until you believe me?"

Tifa shook her head. It was probably best to resign from this love battle. She cared for Cloud, but she wasn't going to throw her friendship away over her crush she had on the mercenary. Right now, he was being stubborn. It was clear to her as well as everyone he talked to that he liked Bayonetta and vice versa. Bayonetta was too prideful to admit it and Cloud was demonstrating an equal amount of resistance to the idea that he saw her more than just friends. They probably shared secrets with each other and it just irritated Tifa how in such a short amount of time, she was no longer the most important person in Cloud's life.

"…It's fine Cloud. I understand. I just wish you were open about it with me…we're friends after all."

Before Cloud could ask Tifa what was on her mind, someone decided to leave the house early. Said person had a sword in hand was searching for Cloud specifically.

"Morning Cloud!"

Cloud's eyes widened a bit before they returned to normal. "…Didn't think you were a morning person either Prince Corrin?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't use honorifics now." Corrin told him as he pointed the Yatogami toward him. "Since you're up early, I was hoping you could help me."

"With?"

"I only trained a little bit with Azura and Volga yesterday, but I wanted to train with you. I need to be able to hold my own in battle. Do you think you can spare with me now or…"

Corrin didn't look the least bit tired. Cloud would assume he would have dark eye rings under his eyes. Seeing the energetic soul suddenly made Cloud feel ready to start the day, and what better way than to practice with the sword? Corrin really did need this.

"Sure…why not. Just don't expect me to go easy on you. I know you haven't used a sword in your life."

"I learned the basics yesterday. I'll be fine."

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 9890 words.**

 **Li: New characters…a lot of them.**

 **Me: I know and most are in flashbacks. Notes!**

 **1\. This entire section is about all the witches (minus Jeanne who is self-explanatory).**

 **Selene is the name I give to Cia and Lana when the two are the Guardian of Time (AKA they are merged together as one person). Selene looks more like Cia but has Lana's personality. The name is also a reference to the accessory item Selene's Light. The irony is how Selene is like Lana and is very clumsy and rather inexperienced with her magic. This accessory is meant to help her activate Witch Time instantly since timing is important (this is ironic given that she is the Time Guardian in Hyrule Warriors). In this story, I decided that Selene is simply the Moon Witch. She has no connection to Cleopatra like the description says though.**

 **Metallia (Lia) is the protagonist of The Witch and the 100 Knight. She starts out as a villain protagonist and slowly redeems herself as time goes on. She's a jerk to everyone around her, bossy and a very sadistic person. Chapter one in game demonstrates how cruel she is to her own mother (who had it coming). Her title in universe is the Swamp Witch and should not be confused with the one from Queen's Blade. Metallia here is a rival to Bayonetta that is fueled by envy. Judging from Anankos' scolding about her, Metallia is not remembered fondly for her actions that will be shown later.**

 **Sabina is actually a minor character in The Witch and the 100 Knight. In the game, when Metallia is asked to prove her loyalty to the kingdom that Visco is from, she is tasked with finding the witch that is plaguing the outside of the capital and to capture/kill her. Metallia demonstrates that she has a soft side for her and lets her live…but things are not meant to be for Sabina…and her fate in the game is the same as her fate in this story. There is not much to say, but how you can't actually see her sprite in the actual game since she made herself invisible. Someone has ripped the sprite out of the game, and there really isn't much to her except she looks like a Kejourou demon (the girl from the Ring).**

 **2\. Bayonetta hasn't met Rodin yet in this AU, so the weapon she has is the handguns that are used in the prologue. She only has two of them because as stated above, the other two broke. These handguns are rather rusty and will break at any moment at this point. There is hope for her to get Scarborough Fair in the near future (remember, Bayonetta's appearance and powers are based on the first game with some minor tweaks).**

 **3\. In this AU, Lilith is the older sibling of Corrin and Kamui instead of being the younger sibling in canon. The timeline would not work due to the Corrin twins being locked to eighteen years old. I needed a reason for the witch hunts to start, so it was better for Lilith to be the older sibling and die than have her be the younger sibling despite the Corrin twins just being born by the time of this war.**

 **4\. Cloud has clear goals after getting off the Invisible Continent. He's going to talk about his past (and the mission) in the next chapter, so hang tight people. I should point out that so many people went with Cloud on the mission and are dead now. Most had families, so he has a long list of people to apologize to. The crossover is in effect, but I will start listing some names in the next chapter. From Cloud's flashback, Link is obviously someone who was part of the team as well as Sharla's fiancé Gado. For those who don't know though, Petta is the future child of Zetta from Makai Kingdom, so Zetta was part of Cloud's group too. And Cloud counts defectors as dead to him even if they're alive as you'll see in the next chapter.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	13. Invisible Pact

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 13: Invisible Pact

* * *

Cloud and Corrin spent the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon training. There was no need for a break although they were encouraged at noon to stop and rest. Corrin was on fire though for whatever reason. He was determined to spend the entire day training with the Yatogami. Cloud chuckled how Corrin made amateur mistakes with the blade in hand, but as the day went on, the blond was starting to fear the dragon prince and for a good reason. Corrin has said multiple times he was not allowed to practice with the sword. His mother wanted him to stay away from getting his hands dirty and wanted him to focus on healing. It was okay for him to know how to use a bow, but it wouldn't get him far in the long run. As a result, the sword would be just for show when it was time for Corrin to inherit the blade. Cloud assumed that Corrin would waste his time and he would spend most of the time trying to teach him the basics.

He was dead wrong. Corrin was an incredibly fast learner. One could even call him a prodigy. He picked up the basics yesterday and by training with Cloud for almost half a day, Cloud would say that Corrin was ready to do battle with the average soldier. The problem was whether or not the silver haired prince would be able to take a life, but Cloud felt that learning to protect himself with the sword was more important than taking the life of an individual.

Volga had stopped them around noon to remind them that lunch was prepared for them. He was observing Corrin from a distance and just smirked. The dragon prince failed to notice the dragon knight's expression when Corrin finally decided to take a break to eat.

"Training him yesterday was more entertaining than I thought." Volga started. "He went from tripping over his own feet when fencing to being able to parry effectively. He's a quick learner like his sister. Give him a few months and he would be on par with the best human warriors here."

Cloud didn't want to believe that, but after sparring with Corrin, he believed Corrin could surpass even him and Cloud had been training with the sword for a very long time. Add the fact that dragon's age slower and you got a dangerous dragon on your hand.

"Oh…" Was all Cloud said.

"Too bad the same doesn't apply to Kamui and her magic." Volga added with a laugh. "No matter how much Azura tries to teach her, Kamui can't get the basics right for her healing abilities. I guess her brother will be the better twin in the long run if she doesn't step it up."

How odd for Volga to be mocking the princess he served. Then again, Volga and Kamui were rather close for a princess and her knight.

"Do you really think that?" Cloud asked him.

"The princess is still stronger than her brother at the moment. It will stay like that as long she continues to train every day like she's normally known for."

Cloud had seen Kamui in combat and while she resisted killing when the bloodlust was there, he had to agree the dragon princess was the stronger twin at the moment.

"Hey you two! Hurry up!" Corrin could be heard shouting. "There's some good food here!"

"Not made by you…thank god." Cloud snarked as he went over to the dragon prince. Volga would follow shortly after.

Corrin had brought the food outside to eat on the grass. It was like a mini picnic. He didn't want to eat inside mainly because Kamui had taken the house to herself and advised Corrin to enjoy eating outside where there was fresh air. Corrin didn't get to eat outside often even when in Izumo due to being a shut in. When he did, it was when he was hanging out with his mother's retainers when nobody was around.

Cloud wondered what sort of food was considered good for the dragon prince. He rolled his eyes seeing that the small basket Corrin brought out with him only had sandwiches with him. Granted, they were probably made by Joker, so they couldn't have been bad. Corrin also carried the tea that was made inside of Kamui's house outside. Cloud was impressed that he was able to carry all of that, but then he noticed that Corrin's tail was sticking out and was being used as a "third" hand to carry the basket.

"At least you're getting creative with your shapeshifting." The blond praised as he took a seat next to the dragon prince. "You going to hand me my share?"

Corrin nodded his head as he handed over the basket to Cloud while keeping the other sandwich he was already eating. Cloud took the basket and one of the teacups in Corrin's hand. He blew on the tea before taking a sip. He smirked. Kamui definitely did not make the tea (or Corrin by that matter).

"This is decent." Cloud commented.

"Well, Kamui didn't make it so…" Corrin chuckled nervously knowing full well that Cloud did not want a repeat of what happened when they first arrived in Valla. Kamui was a really bad cook after all. "So…Cloud…can I ask you a question?"

"You already asked it." Cloud snarked even though he let out a small chuckle as a response. "I'm listening."

"…Where did you come from and why are you here?" Corrin asked in a serious tone. "I think I started to figure out that Bayonetta has always been around here, but I know for a fact that you haven't always lived here. I need to know more about your home…and what is outside of the Invisible Continent."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"…It's going to be a long story."

Corrin was willing to listen. Cloud wasn't willing to talk about his life story though. However, perhaps Corrin learning about the mercenary's past could help shed some light on his situation and why he wanted to get off the continent as soon as possible.

"…Well for starters, I'm from the Outer Continent which consists of one huge capital and many smaller kingdoms." Cloud started to explain. The blond had Corrin's full attention at this point. "…While I'm from a small town on the big continent, I technically come from a place called Midgar. Midgar as you might have noticed is ahead of its time. You can see that with the weapons that Barret and the others carried around."

"And your sword." Corrin brought up. "I have never seen a sword made like that. And…there are small holes in your sword too…"

"Oh…that's for materia." Cloud explained. "I used to have a lot of them when I first came here. Some things happened, and I lost all of them…I can blame Bayonetta for that honestly."

"Did she…remove them?"

"Sort of. I lost half of them from some ambushes here and there that made me have to drop them. The other half was used as payment. I don't know how Bayonetta expects to use them, but I'm back at square one because of her. Some of those materia were not easy to find back on the Outer Continent!"

Corrin waited for Cloud to stop venting about Bayonetta before he continued.

"…Anyways, Midgar is considered the most advanced nation on the Outer Continent with many other kingdoms on the outside that are still far behind. Midgar wants the entire Outer Continent to advance with them. Otherwise…there will be problems…this attitude is why there are factions within Midgar struggling to maintain control of the capital."

"Sounds…rough…"

"It is. I rather not be caught in the middle…but I am unfortunately. It's…why I'm here in the first place."

"Really?"

"SHINRA is the strongest faction in Midgar. They control almost everything. They have the technology, money and power to maintain that power. It's nearly impossible to fight back against them."

Cloud sounded a little scared when he said that. Corrin observed Cloud's expression carefully. The blond seemed to want to forget something that happened in Midgar, but it was hard to forget.

"Cloud?"

"…Anyways…SHINRA may be powerful, but by showing their dominance to the other kingdoms, they actually hurt the entire Outer Continent as a whole."

"How so?"

"Pollution." Cloud answered truthfully. "SHINRA has no problems sabotaging the water supplies of other kingdoms to get them under Midgar's rule. However, by doing this, they ended up polluting their own city. Soon, people started getting sick and the vegetation became worse because of it. SHINRA had searched for ways to try and fix the problem before it got worse, but as of now, many people have died from the polluted waters near Midgar. It won't be long until that pollution will leak out into the ocean."

"…What does that have to do with the Invisible Continent."

"Everything actually. SHINRA did their research and found out that the water dragon of legend is capable of purifying any bodies of water regardless of how badly toxic it is. It sounded like something you would see in a fairytale, but we are reminded that there are indeed six elemental dragons in this world. No one has ever seen the water dragon though due to how the water dragons chose to live as far away from the mainland as possible."

"Six…dragons…"

Corrin wouldn't be able to ask about that since Cloud was focusing on the problems his continent was having.

"It's obvious that your father and his ancestors benefited from being far away from the mainland. It's inconvenient for us though as we need the hope of a dragon that can purify the waters. SHINRA had gone over to the Kingdom of Plegia and Akaneia to search for seers who could confirm the existence of the water dragon. Once they had the confirmation, SHINRA simply sent their most powerful soldiers to retrieve the dragon and return to the mainland."

"…So…you're after me…or my sister…or my father…"

"Sort of. The dragon we were given info of…had died sixteen years ago. None of us knew that…in fact…I would suspect that the heads of SHINRA were aware to an extent. I would find it hard to believe that the Seer of Plegia and that light dragon were inaccurate of their prediction."

"…So you think that you were sent on a suicide mission?"

"Very much so. We thought we were prepared due to how backwards this kingdom was, but we weren't…" Cloud laughed bitterly to himself when he said this. "…The description given to us was so vague. We thought it was a dragon girl named Lilith who could save us, but then I learned from Bayonetta that she had been dead for sixteen years. The description describes you and your sister better…but I'm starting to think the reason why the seers didn't rat you two out is because you two lacked the actual powers to do what SHINRA wants…"

"You think so?" Corrin asked. "I may be a strong healer, but even I don't think I could purify an entire waterbed…"

"Maybe you can. Maybe you can't. All I know is that the mission was considered a failure. I would have died had it not been for Bayonetta that day…but that didn't mean I could save my comrades. Most of them died not knowing that the mission was doomed from the start."

The Izumo prince felt pity toward the mercenary. He assumed that Cloud was the leader of the group and had to live with getting his fellow comrades killed. Although, Cloud wasn't being too specific on what transpired leading to the death of everyone until there were six people left originally.

"…AVALANCHE didn't stand a chance…" Cloud mumbled to himself.

"Cloud…I'm sorry for asking."

"Don't pity me." Cloud told him harshly.

"But…"

"I'm not going to die on this god forsaken continent. Now that the seers are here, there is a guarantee trip back to Midgar. I'm going to take my friends and escape back to Midgar, and I'm going to apologize to everyone who had a friend or family member out during this impossible mission…"

"But that sounds…"

"They will hate me for telling them the harsh reality. I feel like it's better to tell them instead of keeping them in the dark…I…"

"Which friends…died…"

Corrin was getting into dangerous territory now. Cloud wanted to avoid talking about specific people. He was a close friend with everyone who went on the journey except that one person he would never forgive. There was also one person that came to mind when he thought of someone he was close to.

"Almost everyone was my comrade, Corrin. The one I considered more than a friend though…his name was Link."

"Link?"

"Yeah…he was like a brother to me…you see…I was an only child, so I didn't know what it was like to have someone you could rely on as a brother. Link on the other hand came from this huge family of peasants. He was the oldest of all the siblings and was forced to take care of all of them. Link…always put everyone else over himself as a result. Even when his family got lucky and were taken in by the royal family of Hyrule to serve them, Link never forgot what it meant to care for others. Link became a powerful knight of Hyrule in order to serve the people and return the favor to the royal family. Link was…destined for greatness…but that greatness was taken away from him because of this mission."

"Did Link have to join on this mission?" Corrin asked.

"He was drafted…" Cloud hissed. "Link said he felt obligated to join, but I was hearing some rumors going on at that time. Apparently, they wanted his twin brother to come along, so Link made a deal to be the only one to join the mission as long as his brother was able to continue being a merchant."

"Wow…he must have really cared…"

"Of course he did. You should know how much twins love each other."

Corrin wouldn't know. He didn't know he had a twin sister to begin with and didn't know her for long enough to have any twin telepathy of any sort. Perhaps he'll develop one with her over time.

"Link told me he would return to Hyrule and make his family proud. He sincerely believed that by finding Lilith, the balance would be restored and things would start anew. He was so naïve…and then he had to go die…"

The dragon prince wanted to ask how Link was killed. Cloud refused to talk about the subject. It was best to not venture into that territory.

"…One thing is for certain…" Cloud began. "Volga has a lot of fucking nerve walking around Valla pretending that nothing happened."

That seemed random.

"Huh? What did Sir Volga do?"

"You noticed the scarf around his neck?" Cloud asked.

"Y-Yeah…what about it?"

"That belonged to Link." Cloud replied. "It was a scarf given to Link by his father. It was one of his most important family treasures. To see that bastard wearing it is a disgrace to his family."

"But…what does Sir Volga have to-"

"Volga is not from the Invisible Continent. He was from Hyrule as well." The blond explained surprising the younger male. "He was a Knight of Hyrule just like Link. People disrespected him due to his dragon status, but he and Link were good friends despite that. He came along on the expedition not to save our continent, but to search for powerful opponents. That bastard has the audacity though to abandon the mission and take Link's scarf with him."

Volga seemed too honorable to do something as run away though. Corrin wasn't going to get an accurate answer from this man though. Cloud's anger was seething through to the point that anything about the fire dragon at this point would be bias against him.

"I thought he died when he abandoned us." Cloud hissed. "Now, I find out that he simply retreated to Valla and has lead a peaceful life without a care in the world for two years while me and AVALANCHE were miserable for two years…and I ended up being a wanted criminal due to the occupation I was forced to take in order to survive."

"…B-But…you only noticed this now?"

"I wanted to forget him, but the longer I hung around him and heard his arrogant voice, the more I remembered Volga, and I wish I hadn't."

"Cloud…"

"He's…so lucky. Running away was the smarter option given how SHINRA hasn't bothered to search for us. They must have assumed we all died…but if the seers are coming for us…then there is hope…"

"Cloud?"

"If only I wasn't hated by Hoshido, Nohr and Izumo…things would have run a lot smoother…"

It was useless to get any information out of the mercenary after this though. This was okay for the silver haired prince. Corrin listened to Cloud's story thoroughly. It was important to note how Cloud's story was only one side of the equation. If the dragon prince were to ask anyone else, they might say something different. The blond was very cynical about what happened, and while Corrin believed him and felt bad, he had this nagging feeling that Cloud still wasn't telling him everything as it should. Cloud had no real reason to go deeper into his sad past.

"…Is there anything positive that came out of this?" Corrin had to ask as insensitive as it sounded. "…War has never achieved anything in the long run…but surely something positive must have happened during or after the war…"

Corrin expected some backlash from Cloud, but was surprised with his silence. He was actually thinking about a response before he spoke.

"…I guess there is one thing." Cloud admitted. "…I met Bayonetta. She saved my life…so I guess that's a plus…and we've been partners ever since."

"…So you _**two**_ are dating."

"No! It is not like that!"

"But you just said…"

"Anyways…" Cloud switched the subject before Corrin could pry into his relationship with Bayonetta again. "You're free to run back to Midgar with me when all's said and done."

"…What?"

"…There's going to be a fallout in Izumo very soon. You can clearly see that. Without a ruler, Izumo is doomed…and we both know war is going to happen between Hoshido and Nohr soon."

Corrin shook his head. "N-No…that's not true. Izumo just needs me to return and things will return to normal."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes! Macbeth is the reason why everything is in chaos! Without me, he's free to make up lies about what happened about me! He can lie to Izana about what happened between me and him and then Izana will do what he thinks is right! I just need to talk to Izana…or at least find out the truth about my mother's death and report to him about it. I just need to get Macbeth away from Izumo…if I have any hope of saving my kingdom and preserving my mother's dignity."

Cloud wondered if that was even possible.

"…But…I'm just…a little worried."

"About what, Corrin?"

"…You already know."

Cloud needed to be reminded what Corrin was talking about and the dragon prince was far from pleased from having to talk about it again.

"…Macbeth is obsessed with me…remember?"

"…Oh yeah…"

"Please don't make me repeat how much of a creeper he is. The longer he's in power, the more things become desperate for me…"

Cloud nodded his head. At the very least, Cloud could assist in getting rid of Macbeth for Corrin. That guy was rotten to the core and he needed to pay for hurting his friends.

As the two finished their sandwiches, Bayonetta finally decided to leave the house. Cloud assumed she was sleeping in after what happened last night, so he didn't bother to look for her. He wasn't far from the truth. She ate inside the house and then cleaned herself up. There were multiple places where she could take a bath, and there was one secret area in Valla that Corrin had used to bathe himself. Bayonetta used the same area and once she was done, she tidied herself up. She came out with the same beehive hairstyle and the tight black suit she always wore, but she was shimmering now that she was able to get some rest.

What caught Cloud's attention was the fragrance she sprayed on. He had no idea where she was keeping things like that, but Bayonetta was a witch, so chances are he would never get a good answer. Corrin looked toward the Umbra Witch because he whiffed her wonderful scent. He blushed immediately as a result.

"I have never felt refreshed in my entire life." Bayonetta hummed as she looked at the two males before her. "Don't mind if I join you two?"

"N-No…" Corrin mumbled as he looked away. "B-But you probably already ate."

"I did. It doesn't mean I can't hang out with you two."

"…We were going to get back to training soon." Cloud told. The Umbra Witch noted he was also avoiding eye contact with her.

"You two are going to continue playing with your swords? How fascinating~"

She was being sarcastic when she said that, but Cloud knew there was an innuendo there and let out a huge sigh.

"I swear, that's the only thing you're thinking of."

"You want me to think of you instead?"

"No…I would rather have you focus on how to get your money back from those Nohrian soldiers."

"You and your money."

Corrin felt left out of this conversation. Then again, he didn't want to be part of it when sexual tension was oozing from the two in front of him. Bayonetta was simply too close for comfort and Cloud was having a harder time maintaining his blush.

Before Corrin could interrupt the two and save Cloud from further embarrassment, Kamui finally decided to show up.

"Hey, Father wants to talk to you three." She said simply. "Don't be late."

Cloud let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to continue the conversation with the gray eyed witch and he would finally get to ask what this power pact was that Anankos spoke about last night. Bayonetta didn't really like the idea of the pact, but she would have to follow along. Corrin was the only one kept in the dark about what Anankos wanted from him.

* * *

Kamui is the one that warns the trio, but it's Volga that leads them through the Dragon's Den to see Anankos. Cloud kept his guard up as he glared at Volga's back. The fire dragon noticed Cloud's antagonistic attitude was out in the open and sighed. Before reaching Anankos, he had to stop and tell the blond something he didn't want to hear.

"I did not kill Link."

"You sure as hell didn't!"

Corrin and Bayonetta jumped at Cloud suddenly raising his voice. Volga snarled at how Cloud took offense so easily.

"Link's fate was decided when he made that decision."

"Your decision of abandoning us to run off to Valla to survive got almost everyone killed!"

"…It was pointless to keep going. You said it yourself. The dragon we were looking for was dead long ago. It was better to just into hiding instead of letting those humans try to wipe us all out. You are lucky that no one put two and two together. If the royals found out that you were part of the war, they would make sure you and your friends would never walk around Izumo again."

"…But you left your friends and comrades behind and for what?" Cloud asked. He didn't care for an answer though as he already drawn a conclusion based on how Volga had been interacting with Kamui and Azura. "…Where did your honor go?"

"I care about my honor, but I respect Link's last request."

"…Last request."

"…You wouldn't know it. You're too busy thinking about the mission and how you failed it that you don't consider those who have fallen in battle."

Cloud would have argued back, but Volga reminded Cloud what he was talking about when he pulled the scarf out of his armor and dangled it in front of the mercenary.

"This is why I'm the one who gets to keep Link's scarf. Not you."

Oh did Cloud want to clobber Volga for being so arrogant. He held his tongue and kept himself from not hurting the dragon knight for the sake of not worrying those around him. He followed in silence but continued to glare daggers into Volga's back.

The fire dragon would lead the three further into the den than normal. Anankos wasn't in his usual spot. Corrin noted how there seemed to be yet another waterfall within the cave. A waterfall inception joke would have been made if there was time to make the joke. Volga walked through the waterfall without any issues and the trio would soon pursue him deeper into the Dragon's Den. Everything became darker the further they went in. However, there was a glint at the end of the narrow tunnel hidden away by the waterfall.

At the end, Anankos was waiting for them. He didn't seem to notice them though as he was finishing up his preparations for something huge. One could barely see a magic circle traced below him. In fact, it filled the entire room. There were little blue flames here and there just for light, but other than that, there wasn't much to see. The room gave an ominous feeling though.

"Thank you for bringing them in here, Volga." Anankos spoke. "You may now leave."

Volga paused when Anankos immediately tried to get him to leave. He let out a small growl but dismissed himself almost immediately. Corrin wondered if he should follow after him, but Anankos needed the three of them in the hidden room.

"The three of you, please come closer. I need you three to be in the center so I can start the pact."

"…I thought we were going to talk about it before anything happened." Cloud hissed.

"Huh? What pact?" Corrin questioned. "Am I missing something here?"

"Corrin…my son…I think it's time for you make a pact that will solidify your status as an Invisible Dragon."

The silver haired prince was lost at this point. Maybe Anankos or his sister should have warned him in advance.

"…Can I expect the three of you to take a seat in the middle? I'll explain what will be going on."

The trio didn't really have much of a choice. Anankos wasn't simply going to let them leave even if the place creeped them out. Corrin gave Cloud an odd look when he sat in this odd position. He had to sit in this position so his buster sword wouldn't drag him down. Corrin and Bayonetta sat down normally in comparison to Cloud. Anankos did not really care how the three were sitting and continued.

"I do not know how much Invisible history you know Corrin, but I hope you are aware of the Invisible Pact."

"…No…I do not." Corrin admitted. "I did not know about Valla until a few days ago. I would not know about the customs of Valla much less this pact…"

"I understand. The Invisible Pact is not something that would be in history books here. With most dragons from this continent dead, it is hard to maintain the ritual. Soon, people will forget how the pact is made and it will die off. I have already done this pact for my daughter and I will do it for my son as well."

"What is this Invisible Pact? Get on with it."

Cloud was very impatient, but that was obviously because he didn't like where this was going.

"Right…Corrin, the Invisible Pact is a tripact between the Invisible Dragon, a man and a woman. The pact is as powerful as the bond between the three individuals. This means that the pact will surely grow over time as long as no one in the pact is killed. The pact loses all power if even one individual is killed."

"So it's your typical pact." Cloud stated. "How boring."

"Cloud, please…" Corrin hissed. "Continue…"

"These pacts are not exclusive to just the Invisible Dragon raise. Every dragon race is capable of making a pact with two individuals with some loopholes here and there concerning the gender of course. It is best for the pact to be locked to a man and a woman though so things don't go haywire. The reason the pact is like this is so the dragon can mate with at least one of the individuals."

"…Excuse me?"

Bayonetta was far from pleased from hearing that. In fact, she scoffed knowing where this was going. There was no way she would go through with this pact if it was implying sex down the line as payment. She was incapable of romance and she sure as hell wasn't seeing herself in a relationship down the line.

"…That is one of the many reasons why dragons make pacts with others." Anankos told her as he attempted to clear his throat. "The pact is more spiritual than physical. However, physical contact is needed for the pact to be effective."

"…Physical…contact…" Corrin mumbled softly to himself. Unfortunately, his father heard him and continued talking to him specifically.

"Yes. I do mean sex although it does not need to happen immediately." The Invisible Dragon said bluntly. "For example, if the three of you were to make a pact right now, there would be sex down the line."

Once Anankos made it very clear what the pact was about, the trio wanted to back out immediately for different reasons. Corrin thought he was the most embarrassed by the revelation even though Cloud and Bayonetta were probably taking the news worse than he was.

"W-W-What?! F-Father, what are you suggesting?!"

"I'm not suggesting it as much as saying that it will happen in the future." Anankos told his son with a sigh. "Fortunately for you Corrin, your healing abilities allow you to find ways around the sexual part of the pact. It will only get you so far though. If you find other physical things you can do with the pact, make sure to use it."

"But…I haven't…"

"I would rather have the pact be made now before I die." The dragon of Valla admitted. "I do not know how long I have, but if the pact is made now, you'll have a trump card if anything were to go wrong."

"But Father!" Corrin began as his cheeks turned as red as a rose. "I never had sex before!"

A pregnant pause would soon fill the room after Corrin's announcement. He realized what he said and covered his mouth almost immediately. His entire face was red at this point to the point his ears would be the same color as his face. He should have stayed quiet. Now Bayonetta and Cloud know and they're going to give him odd looks…

They didn't say anything though. Cloud was also covering his face to hide his own blush at how blunt Anankos is. The pact went from boring to "a waste of time" in his mind. Cloud would have stood up, but just sat there thinking how stupid he was to think that the pact was worthwhile. As for Bayonetta, it was difficult to tell what she was thinking. Perhaps it was along the lines of what Cloud was thinking, but she was giving a rather menacing glare to the older dragon who suggested the pact in the first place.

"…As I was saying…Kamui has already made her pact with Volga and Azura. They are significantly stronger as a result."

Corrin's eyes widened at this. _Kamui and Azura are together?! B-But they're cousins…is…is that okay?! I mean…they're related by blood and…oh gods…_

Corrin's brain was going to melt at this point. He was being fed too much information too quickly.

"Corrin, dear. You look ready to faint." Bayonetta commented as she noticed the swirls in his eyes.

"This is too much information…"

"Oh, she's a lesbian..." Cloud murmured sounding disappointed that Kamui was taken. Bayonetta snarled at him as a response.

Anankos would have said something sarcastic, but he knew he would be wasting time at this point. He let out an agitated sigh.

"…Cloud…Cereza…this pact will benefit you greatly. I know on the surface it seems to be an excuse for a dragon's mating season."

"It is." Bayonetta interrupted. "I won't take part in that."

"…What I was saying is that you two should view this as an equivalent exchange. This pact will give you powers as long as you do your job in protecting my son and-"

"I'm not interested." The Umbra Witch hissed as she stood up. "I'm leaving."

Bayonetta would have left too if Cloud didn't stop her.

"Wait, Bayonetta!"

Bayonetta rolled her eyes. She did not want Cloud trying to convince her to do the pact despite things not benefitting her in the slightest. While those two were arguing, Corrin managed to calm down a little only to panic again realizing how things could go to hell real fast if he made the pact with his two older companions. Not too long ago, he had a reoccurring nightmare of someone wedding him without his consent. He didn't think Cloud or Bayonetta would be the people who would force him into an unhappy marriage. If anything, the dream showed that it would more likely be Macbeth than them. However, he still feared the idea of being a victim of a political marriage. Corrin felt that was the motive of why his mother had to die the night of the banquet. He didn't want to be miserable.

"…Do you understand?" Cloud finished explaining his reasoning. Corrin only just tuned back into the conversation to see that Bayonetta had resigned to whatever Cloud told her.

"…You owe me big time…" The Umbra Witch hissed.

"So you two agree to the pact with my son?" Anankos asked.

Corrin wondered if he had a say in this. However, Corrin knew that he would agree to this pact too. Power was still involved and Corrin needed that power to be able to get stronger. If it meant exchanging his virginity for strength, he would take that trade.

"Corrin, will you allow the pact to happen?" Anankos questioned him.

"Yes…" Corrin answered. "I'm willing to make the pact…I mean…if I can give power to you two…then it should be easier for you two to defend yourselves…"

"Not just themselves, but you as well." Anankos reminded him. "And I must remind you that this is a life pact unless someone involved in the pact dies an untimely death. The pact is deadweight though if there is no trust between you three. From observation, that will not be the case. You three have been willing to help each other out even if it was against your better judgement. That alone will create a decent pact."

"That's by circumstance." Cloud reminded him. "There's not much to it."

"Right…well then…may I ask the three of you to strip?"

Anankos was digging his grave deeper at this point. First he has to say the pact is sexual in nature. Now he wants them naked.

"W-WHAT?!"

"You have got to be kidding me…"

"Nope."

Anankos just shook his head. In the order of reaction time, it was Corrin, Bayonetta and Cloud. Now it was the blond's turn who wanted to walk up and leave though because he didn't want to strip in front of anyone. The irony is Bayonetta thought the same thing, but she wasn't as vocal about not wanting to strip.

"Why do we need to be naked?!" Cloud asked. "If you don't tell me, I will put my sword through you!"

"It makes things easier." Anankos reminds him. "It will be difficult to tell if the pact worked if I don't see any markings on your body when I'm done enforcing the pact."

"…But…"

"Oh, come on Cloudy. It's not like you didn't have sex before." Bayonetta teased.

"Bayonetta…you better not say anything else…" Cloud barked.

"Now who is the one freaking out about this pact?" The Umbra Witch taunted. "You're better off running away with me if you're going to back out now."

Corrin was very confused at the sudden antagonism between the two. Of course these two had sex before. The dragon prince was the only virgin in the room. The way Cloud was acting though made him think that there was more to what she said…

"…Tch…fine…"

Anankos waited patiently for the three to strip. Despite the teasing, Bayonetta showed visible signs she was uncomfortable with this. Corrin was still bedazzled with her magic. Her suit was made from her hair. As fast as it was to fix it, it was just as easy to remove her suit as long as she used her magic to remove it. She intentionally kept a small portion of her suit on where her crotch on. Anankos shook his head in annoyance.

"When I say naked, I mean completely naked."

Bayonetta refused initially until Corrin and Cloud had stripped down before she finally gave in.

"Make this quick…" She hissed.

Corrin made sure to avoid looking at her when she finally decided to remove the last portion of her suit. The Umbra Witch did notice that the red eyed prince was trying to be decent with her at least unlike Anankos who gave her a hard stare. Cloud's expression was difficult to read.

"…One more thing you two need to do." Anankos addressed. They were tired listening to him at this point and wanted him to just get on with the pact. "You two are too far apart from Corrin. Both of you need to be right next to him. One on his left side and the other on his right side…this is where the pact marks will show up and it will fail if you're too far from the Invisible Dragon."

"For fucks sake…" Cloud and Bayonetta actually muttered at the same time. Corrin couldn't help but chuckle how they did think alike when they were at their limits.

The two did obey Anankos' order. Cloud sat on Corrin's left side and Bayonetta sat down on Corrin's right side. Cloud murmured under his breath how this was becoming too troublesome for him. Bayonetta was unusually quiet in comparison.

"Bayonetta, you don't need to be nervous around me." Corrin told her. "This won't last long."

She didn't respond to him but acknowledge his words. Anankos let out a sigh of relief. Now he could finally activate the pact.

"Please do not move away from Corrin. This will not take long."

Anankos closed his eyes as he started to mumble something under his breath. Corrin did not recognize the language a bit, but Bayonetta caught a bit of it and wondered if it was the ancient tongue that all dragons had. With so little dragons left, it was odd to hear the language again. Anankos started to hover above the floor as the words that came out of his mouth activated the magic circle that the trio was sitting in.

" _ **Oh, Divine Ancestral Dragons, hear my cries…**_

 _ **As the Dragon of Wisdom and one of the last Divine Dragons…**_

 _ **I request my powers also be transformed to my son…**_

 _ **My daughter's Dragon Veins are strong to continue the ancestral line…**_

 _ **But my son will be the one to save us from eternal damnation…**_

 _ **With the remaining strength I have…**_

 _ **Please bestow the power to my son and his guardians…**_

 _ **One is a human from the Outer Continent…**_

 _ **The other is a witch from the Umbra Clan…**_

 _ **As strange as these three are as a pair…**_

 _ **I believe that will be the ones who will save us…**_

 _ **Oh, Divine Ancestral Dragons, hear my cries…**_

 _ **GRANT THEE POWERS TO THEM!"  
**_

With every world that came out of Anankos' mouth, the magic circle started to glow a bright turquoise light that covered the entire room. Corrin felt something burn inside of him the more Anankos spoke. He flinched the minute the light shined brightly before he let out a low growl. Something was being burned into his back and for a moment, he thought Anankos was setting him on fire. Cloud and Bayonetta noticed the pained expression he had and both held onto his arm for support. When they did, they felt something being burned onto the shoulder that was in Corrin's direction. Bayonetta felt her left shoulder being burned as Cloud felt his right shoulder was on fire. They wouldn't be able to see the strange dragon symbols that were being formed as a result of the pact. This wasn't visibly permanent. The symbol would glow the same color as the magic circle before disappearing completely. Corrin groaned in pain as he felt the wind was knocked out of him. He would have fell backwards had his two older companions didn't hold him up.

"…It's done." Anankos told them. "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

Corrin could feel something inside of him change despite the pact being done. The process wasn't as long as he thought, but the silver haired prince felt that Bayonetta and Cloud thought otherwise.

The minute the pact was done, Bayonetta wasted no time in using her magic to cover up. Cloud had never seen the Umbra Witch wrap herself with her hair that quickly.

"You boys liked looking at my body, right? Well, that's all for today."

She tried to speak in a teasing tone, but it failed. Bayonetta was clearly uncomfortable with what just happened and wanted to leave. Corrin thought the same thing and grabbed his clothes immediately. Cloud would be the last one to put his clothes back on.

"…You three are free to go." Anankos spoke softly.

"…Thank you Father…" Corrin thanked weakly as he dismissed himself from the hidden room.

Once Corrin left the area, Anankos had forced Cloud and Bayonetta to listen to him one more time even though they were done talking to him at this point.

"Cloud, Cereza, I cannot thank you enough for making the pact with my son. Please, I beg of you, do whatever you can to protect him. I won't live that much longer…and he'll be without a parental figure again."

Bayonetta could care less about Anankos' plea. She simply walked away without as much as acknowledging his presence. Cloud gave a small nod unlike his witch companion and followed after her. Anankos could only frown as he was left alone in the darkness.

"…I hope I made the right decision with entrusting them to my son…"

* * *

 _After years of practicing, the day finally came for Bayonetta to make a pact with a powerful demon. The raven haired witch took longer than most witches due to her fear of messing up along with the other Umbra witches finding ways to delay the inevitable. Depending on how well things went, Bayonetta would finally be accepted as one of the clan members or die for trying. Bayonetta's friends had confidence that she would do fine. Bayonetta wasn't so sure. Besides Metallia mocking her that she was going to fail, the beautiful witch had this nagging feeling things wouldn't go well for her at all. She needed to keep her guard up._

 _In a huge area that would be considered territory of Valla simply due to the fact it was away from the three main kingdoms (Hoshido, Nohr and Izumo)._

 _Everyone decided to show up and watch Bayonetta make the pact. This only added more pressure to her. Everyone from the Umbran Elder, the witch counsel and even her own mother who was allowed to leave her cell was allowed to watch her. Bayonetta should have been happy she was allowed to see her mother again, but she couldn't afford to fail._

" _You got this, Cereza!" Selene cheered in the background. She was told to shush immediately, but she didn't care._

 _Bayonetta just chuckled nervously at her friend. Jeanne wasn't standing in the same place as Selene, Sabina and Metallia were. Jeanne was expected to stand next to the Umbran Elder and not lift a finger no matter what happened._

 _You got this Cereza. Just don't mess up. The young witch told herself in order to psyche herself up. It was true. She just needed to make a pact with any demon to be able to be accepted as a true witch to the Umbra Witches. What she got was far better (or worse) than what she imagined._

 _Bayonetta had recited the summoning spell to make a pact with a demon. Her hidden powers were proving to be extraordinary. The demon that would be summoned was a powerful demon feared by all in Inferno. Everyone gasped when a huge head popped up from the summoning circle. She let out a vicious grin as she spoke in demonic tongue._

" _ **Who summons me?"**_

 _As more of the demon came out of the ground, the more it became apparent Bayonetta was summoning something far stronger than she could have ever imagined. The demon was a beautiful woman with swallowtail butterfly traits. Due to the summoning spell, her hair was the same black color as Bayonetta's. Her piercing red eyes were directed at the one who summoned her._

"… _I did! Cereza from the Umbra Witch clan wishes to make a pact with you…"_

 _The demon laughed as half of her body started to come out of the ground now. She could not believe that a tiny witch could have summoned her._

" _ **You? No one has ever been able to summon me. I sense power from you, but no control over it. Interesting…"**_

 _Bayonetta felt her concentration break the more she tried to control the demon. The other witches were in awe so far._

" _Madama Butterfly…" Jeanne mumbled. "How was Cereza able to summon her…"_

 _Jeanne observed the Umbran Elder's expression. She was almost impressed that Bayonetta was strong enough to summon as insanely powerful as this demon, but there was always a catch._

 _" **Normally, I would make a pact with whoever was strong enough to summon me, but looking at you now, I think I will take your soul instead. You're too weak. You can't control me."**_

 _Bayonetta hissed as she felt Madama Butterfly struggle to break free from the contract that was being made. The Umbra Witch let out a strained howl as she ended up falling to the ground after Madama Butterfly's arm came out and yanked her toward her. The raven haired witch didn't realize that if this continued, Madama Butterfly would be free to rampage through the human world. The witches were starting to realize the danger the more Bayonetta was pulling the demon out of Inferno while losing more control while she was doing it._

 _At this point, a powerful witch decided to break tradition and step in to save Bayonetta. When one first looked at the girl, one would think that it was a young child deciding to play hero. However, her youthful appearance shouldn't fool anyone. They called her the Fog Witch, Nezaria and she was respected by everyone. She was a short girl with long purple hair and blue eyes. She wore an elegant dress and an umbrella like hat. She carried a staff that had a will of its own and was capable of speaking when she did not feel the need to talk. This usually gave the impression she was a rude individual, but that was far from the case._

 _Nezaria proved why even the strongest demon in Inferno should fear her. She covered the area with a small fog before murmuring a powerful sealing spell that bound Madama Butterfly in place. Madama Butterfly wasn't expecting such powerful magic and found her powers being reduced in an instant. She cursed at Nezaria for interfering with her pact, but Nezaria did not care. She didn't want Madama Butterfly to attack the other witches who were attending this summoning test._

" _Return to Inferno. You will only be called when Cereza needs you." Nezaria ordered her coldly._

 _ **"Curses…you expect this seal to last forever?"  
**_ _  
"No. For now, it will control you until Cereza is ready. Claiming her soul will have to wait."_

 _Madama Butterfly hissed as the powerful binding spell forced her to retreat to Inferno. That would be the last time the witches would have to deal with the powerful demoness for many reasons._

 _Nezaria never failed to disappoint the other witches, but the disappointment now was Bayonetta who was staring at her audience with fear in her eyes. She messed up badly and everyone knew that if a powerful witch had to step in and reduce the power level of a demon. Nezaria would not have done this with any other witch. If a witch failed, they paid the consequences immediately. The Fog Witch made this the sole exception._

" _Cereza…" The Umbran Elder began to speak._

 _Bayonetta was so busted. She started to tremble at whatever punishment the Umbran Elder wanted to give her. Jeanne did jump in but was told to hush up immediately thus preventing her from defending her friend._

" _Cereza, do you realize what you did wrong?"_

"Y-Yes…"

 _"Then you will realize why I cannot pass you."_

 _All of her hard work was for nothing. She had failed to impress everyone…_

 _"Wait!"_

 _The Umbran Elder was not impressed by the voice. Bayonetta would have thought that her mother would have been the one to speak up, but given the status of her mother, she wouldn't be able to vouch for her child. However, Malia was able to do so in Rosa's place._

 _"…Malia…what is it?"_

 _"Surely you cannot expect to fail Cereza here. She has demonstrated wonderful magic talent."_

 _The other witches were surprised to hear this. Metallia was probably the most shocked of them all._

 _"Mother, what the hell?!"_

 _"Cereza has proven that she was able to summon one of the strongest demons in Inferno. I think that is an achievement in itself."_

 _"She failed to control her." The Umbran Elder reminded her. "If not for Nezaria, she would have died."_

 _"Nezaria placed a seal on Madama Butterfly to prevent instances like these. Give Cereza a few more years and she can control one of the strongest demons in Inferno. For as long as we witches have been around, no one has been able to summon Madama Butterfly. Think of what will benefit us down the line because of this miracle."_

 _Malia knew how to sugarcoat the situation. This was giving Bayonetta a second chance at regaining her pride. If she could control the powerful demon in a few more years, then she would officially be recognized. Jeanne thought it was odd that Malia was willing to move the goalpost for her friend._

 _"…I think Malia is right." Nezaria spoke up. "We should not let a powerful demon like this go. We all had difficulties getting her to the surface. It is…fate that she was summoned in the first place."_

 _Two high ranking witches were vouching for Bayonetta now. This made the other witches whisper to each other on why the half-breed was getting special treatment all of a sudden. Metallia wanted answers too. Soon, other witches would vouch for Bayonetta just to look good and stand with Malia and Nezaria who were both highly respected witches._

 _Bayonetta didn't realize she let out a sigh of relief when the Umbran Elder and the others decided to pass her despite the miscalculation. They were giving her another chance that she didn't deserve. Now she had to make sure she didn't mess up again. However, even though she was given a second chance, Madama Butterfly scared her. She didn't think she could summon her without consequence._

 _The raven haired witch was obsessing over the second chance she got that she failed to notice the death glare given to her by Metallia. She didn't even hear that Metallia was cursing up a storm toward her mother claiming that she was being bias toward someone who wasn't her own daughter. She would later learn that Metallia and Malia had a terrible argument afterward…_

* * *

The trio walked out of the Dragon's Den in silence. Corrin trailed in front of his two older companions without realizing it. He suddenly felt the need to head back to Kamui's place and sleep. The pact took a lot out of him, but chances were that he would be doing nothing for the rest of the day.

"Is something wrong you two?" Corrin asked as he stopped when he realized that they were lagging behind him. "Did the pact zap the energy out of you too?"

They didn't respond and it sent a shiver down Corrin's spine. Maybe the pact wasn't a good idea after all?

"Umm…do you two have any idea how the pact is supposed to work?" Corrin asked in an attempt to change the subject slightly. "I mean…I don't it will be that important…I mean…Father said that we would have to do…it…"

"I see the pact as a last minute resort." Cloud spoke. "Nothing much to worry about…but I am disappointed that it's not something that can be abused."

"What do you mean?"

"The pact is solely dependent on how well we protect you. It's a hassle, but since we're already protecting you, there's not much to complain about. We get benefits this time."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes at Cloud's reasoning to go through with it. Not like her reasoning was any better.

"…I only want power for revenge." Bayonetta spoke. "If I have to deal with you, so be it." She hummed when she said this. "Hopefully you'll be able to handle me when I want that power boost."

Corrin shivered at her tone. She sounded dead serious but…

"T-That's not what the pact was made for." Corrin stated. "I mean…I don't think I would lend you my strength if it was for that reason alone…"

"It's a trade, dear. I give you my support. You give me yours."

"But…the pact is based on trust between all three of us…"

"Corrin's right. The power shouldn't be given to us for free." Cloud added. "Unless you're ready to open up to Corrin, the pact won't even work."

There was probably an innuendo in there, or at least Bayonetta would take it as an innuendo. The pact did need a strong trust for it to work effectively between the three. Bayonetta not only didn't want to trust them, but she sure as hell wasn't spreading her legs for them. Cloud smirked when he knew she took offense to his comment. Instead of responding to him, she decided to pick up the pace and took off. Corrin wondered where she could go, but then he remembered she could just open a portal to anywhere and go to that location.

"Wait, Bayonetta-"

"Don't pursue her, Corrin." Cloud interrupted him. Corrin had turned his attention toward Bayonetta's disappearing figure but Cloud grabbing his arm forced him to look back at him. "She'll get over it. She won't leave Valla now in that condition."

"Oh…"

"Also…be wary of her intentions." Cloud added. This seemed odd given that the thief knew Bayonetta longer than Corrin, but that didn't mean much if Bayonetta treated others differently. "She will have no problem looking for a loophole in the pact."

Corrin didn't think there was one, but with Bayonetta, anything was possible. The silver haired prince just folded his arms in frustration. How was he going to win Bayonetta over if she was going to abuse the pact? That might be what he would be spending time thinking about.

* * *

Bayonetta finally decided to leave Valla's safe haven and return to the outside world. She was leaving herself vulnerable by doing this. She hasn't fully recovered and if there was an enemy nearby, she was in danger of being attacked. Bayonetta could care less at the moment. She wanted to be left alone and Valla wasn't going to give her time alone. At least outside in the forest she was familiar with, she could clear her head.

Leaving Valla wasn't that hard. Teleporters allowed the people of Valla to go wherever they wanted without detection. Bayonetta set up another one to go to a specific place on the Invisible Continent. It was one of her favorite places to be during her youth. When everything became too much to handle, Bayonetta would retreat to this location and hide out until she felt better. In the past, she wasn't exactly a strong individual. In fact, she was a huge crybaby. She would never admit that of course. Eighteen years have passed and she is now past the age of crying over nothing. Sabina and Selene were the crybabies of the group, so she refused to let anyone see her cry.

It was tempting to regress back to that age. Selene had declared that a good cry made everything better. Bayonetta felt worse after breaking down and had to keep telling herself to not show weakness to everyone around her if she was supposed to be the strong one. Now that everyone was dead, it wouldn't matter. She just needed to keep herself together.

The area she visited was a lake in the middle of the forest. On the surface, this looked similar to the one in Valla. However, once Bayonetta jumped into the water, she would morph into a serpent and swim toward a small underwater cave. From there, she would return to her human form and rest in the secret area that hasn't been touched for as long as she's been alive. It was her secret place (along with Jeanne's) and hers alone. Bayonetta had stashed things over the years to create a second home that was cozy and safe. She wouldn't be able to come here as much as she would like anymore if Cloud kept his promise and took her away from the continent.

She didn't want to think about Cloud though. The Umbra Witch was here to clear her mind of the pact she just made with Corrin. The implications were finally coming to her and she was far from pleased with what she would have to do to be able to maintain this power she just obtained. Sighing, the Umbra Witch would sit on wooden bed (made by yours truly with magic), and rest her head against the soft pillows (also made by yours truly). She slowly closed her eyes as she recalled the events of the past. Bayonetta allowed her mind to wander to the time when things started going horribly wrong between her and Metallia.

* * *

 _Things were just too foggy for Bayonetta after a certain extent in her mind. The Umbra Witch was aware it was because she had tried to surpass these memories and for good reasons. As pointed out by Anankos, Metallia wasn't exactly a great friend and Bayonetta should let go of any emotional attachment to her. The raven haired witch refused to abandon the Swamp Witch just because she was rough around the edges. Metallia had helped her so much that it felt wrong to decline anything she asked for. Anankos called it Stockholm syndrome for a reason. Metallia wasn't the nicest person around and over time, she became a bully who continued to insult and belittle the Umbra Witch every step of the way…but that's supposed to be tough love…right?_

 _Metallia was still upset about Bayonetta's failed summon and being let off the hook. As a result, Metallia would challenge the Umbra Witch a few weeks later demanding retribution for her failure._

 _"Metallia, is there a reason you called me out here to your swamp?" Bayonetta asked with a concerned look on her face. "This is a little ways away from everyone and I would think the Umbran Elder would yell at us if she found out we were this far out?"_

 _"Shut up!" Metallia snapped causing Bayonetta to jump back. "Who said you could talk?"_

 _"Excuse me…"_

 _"Uhhh…this is so obnoxious…why did they let you off easy? You literally failed your summon and your reward is to be offered a spot on the witch counsel?! What garbage!"_

 _"…Are you still mad about me about that?" Bayonetta asked genuinely confused by Metallia's anger. "I'll have you know that I didn't accept the position yet…"_

 _"Shut up! I don't care if you accepted or not! You failed to summon Madama Butterfly after all of that training but you're still a witch despite that! What happens if that bitch wasn't there to vouch for you? They would have kicked you out of the clan like they did your father!"_

 _Bayonetta paused at Metallia's words. She let them sink in before a dark expression started to appear on her face. Her eyes leered at her friend who was currently throwing a temper tantrum at her._

 _"One, I appreciate if you don't bring my father into this. Two, I would think you would have more respect for Malia than that, and three-"_

 _"I don't need a lecture from you!" Metallia hissed. She was beyond reasoning at this point. Bayonetta felt the need to return home and let the golden haired witch continue her temper tantrum in her swamp area. "I'm going to prove that I can summon a more powerful demon than Madama Butterfly and control it!"_

 _"That's not the greatest idea ever…" Bayonetta snarked as a response to Metallia turning her attention away from her. "You're not much of a summoner…I mean…you have that adorable knight with you as a contract…"_

 _The Swamp Witch was not pleased by this statement. A few months ago, Metallia had tried to make a contract with a demon before Bayonetta to set the bar high for everyone and to surpass Jeanne who had already made her contract with a demon. Instead, she messed up her spell and got a demon called "Hundred Knight". From the book description, it seemed to be a powerful army with a powerful knight ruling them all. However, Metallia was only able to summon one out of hundred knights and while it appeared to be the leader, it was incredibly weak. As a kid, she had a toy that looked identical to it, but never would she have imagined it was a real demon that made a contract with her because of his fondness for her character._

 _"I was destined for greatness, but because of how everyone wants to look past your impure blood, they're letting you have multiple chances and pushing me to the side! The Umbran Elder told me I was to be by Jeanne's side at the witch's counsel, but noooooo! It had to be you!"_

 _"…Jeanne and I are best friends. I would never let her down."_

 _"Jeanne and I are friends too! What does she see in you?!"_

 _"…You almost sound jealous."_

 _Metallia hissed as a response. A green aura started to cover her entire body as she nearly completed the summoning._

 _"Me? Jealous of you? Please! Why would I be jealous of you? You're of impure blood and your father abandoned you because of it! What's there to be jealous of besides your curvy body and being able to fit in with others despite being an outcast?!"_

 _"…Metallia?"_

 _"I'll show you! I'll show you and everyone I'm great! I'll summon another demon and make a pact with him! It will work! I know it will!"_

 _Bayonetta should have stopped her from making that second demon pact. Bad things would only happen because of it. When Metallia put all of her effort into summoning a demon, one would think that the demon obeyed her. The Umbra Witch could barely remember what the demon looked like. Her memory was starting to give up on her. The only thing she recalled was how the demon appeared to be a small boy with multiple eyeballs covering his body. His name was Beliel and he had sworn obedience to her to both of their surprise when the pact worked without any issues._

 _After that, Bayonetta simply could not remember what exactly transpired. Her memories continued on like an old film with the slow slides. The things she could remember were how Beliel did not cause any problems initially unlike Madama Butterfly who tried to kill her. Metallia's life did not get better though. It got worse. The Umbran Elder and the other witches were far from pleased from finding out that Metallia made a second pact without their consent. They could not hope to contain Metallia's growing power as a result of the pact and had proceeded to shun her. In fact, Bayonetta recalled how the witches were treating her better. They ignored the fact she was of impure blood and started to finally accept her into their culture again after years of trying to earn their approval. This was only possibly by shunning someone else who was worse than she was. Sabina had tried to make things better for Metallia, but the golden haired witch didn't want to hear it from the shy witch. Malia was the most antagonistic of them all. Bayonetta could barely recall the words her own mother told her about Malia and Metallia's depressing situation._

 _Her memories decided to stop at a crucial moment in time…the time when the war to purge the witch clan started. Bayonetta recalled following after Metallia when she noticed the girl wasn't acting like her usual self. Perhaps the isolation and ridicule she was receiving was too much at that point. However, she knew for a fact that something was off and she wanted to help her friend out. Maybe if she chose her words carefully, Metallia wouldn't hate her anymore._

 _What she witnessed was Metallia's summon go out of control. Apparently, Beliel had told Metallia that he never was loyal to her and he was biding his time gathering information of the Invisible Continent before he decided that he wanted to do what he wanted. Metallia's strength was not in her summoning skills, so she was doomed to fail from the get go._

 _"You really are pathetic, Metallia." The demon child said with a laugh. "Now, I can do whatever I want and you'll be accused of making the deed. You were in control of me for a few weeks now."_

 _"You fucking son of a bitch!" She cursed as she got her broom out. She was ready to cast her poison spells on the demon with the intention of killing the demon she summoned. "If you can't obey me, you deserve to die with the rest of the trash! Drown in my swamp magic!"_

 _"Metallia, stop!" Bayonetta had called out causing Metallia to leer in her direction._

 _"STAY OUT OF THIS CEREZA! THIS DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!"_

 _"But there are humans nearby worshipping a dragon and you're going to-"_

 _Bayonetta could have stopped this. She knew she could. All she had to do was beg Madama Butterfly to help her stop Metallia and Beliel from taking the battle to human territory that was considered a part of Valla at the time. She froze when she felt Metallia's powerful magic hit her. The Umbra Witch felt like she was nothing in comparison to the golden haired witch who did her best to eliminate Beliel. Beliel was an odd demon. His eyeballs would start shooting powerful beams that would set the forest on fire. Metallia didn't care about the innocent bystanders even though it alerted everyone from the witches to the rulers of Hoshido, Nohr and Izumo._

 _Foolishly, Bayonetta had rushed after Metallia. She transformed into a Panther in hopes of being able to make it on time. She was sorely mistaken. In a clearing where there were humans worshipping a young dragon with light blue hair and gold eyes, the battle between witch and demon took place. The young female dragon had ordered the humans to escape while she would try to deal with the situations. If Bayonetta had just frozen time at that point and grabbed the girl, then the war would not have started._

 _"METALLIA, PLEASE STOP! WE'LL GET THE JEANNE AND THE OTHERS TO DEAL WITH BELIEL! DON'T DO THIS ON YOUR OWN!"_

 _"SHUT UP CEREZA OR I'LL KILL YOU TOO!"_

 _Bayonetta believed that she was too angry to be thinking clearly. She didn't think Metallia meant that. However, Metallia had started preparing her Twilight Elemental which was an attack consisting of powerful elemental spells hitting the opponent before she threw a dark spear to pierce the foe. Beliel should have been the target, but the demon didn't seem to be even near the attack. Everything from here was also a blur in Bayonetta's memory. She recalled Metallia screaming at her to get out of the way and someone taking the fatal blow for her. In fact, Bayonetta had found herself pushed to the ground as that same dragon girl was pierced by the spear from Metallia as well as the demon tentacles that were growing from Beliel's body. She remembered screaming when blood was splattered everywhere. The blood of the dragon girl soaked into the ground as the girl mumbled something to her before falling limp to the attack._

 _And then it was absolute chaos afterwards. That dragon was the only daughter of Anankos. Her name was Lilith and she was the one that would lead the Invisible Continent to prosperity. Metallia had prevented the golden era of the people and the witches would pay dearly for the extermination of the entire clan. Bayonetta would be the only survivor…_

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 12913 words.**

 **Li: And the pact was finally made.**

 **Me: Yep…and a lot of flashbacks too. Notes!  
**

 **1\. Cloud's backstory is only from Cloud's POV so if there are some inconsistencies later down the line, be warned that Cloud does not know the whole story. He's a survivor in all of this after all. Bayonetta and Cloud's meeting is not written for the sake of saving it for a later use because at the moment, it doesn't add much to Cloud's story. We just know that Bayonetta saved Cloud from an early demise and he returned the favor. The two have been partners' since.**

 **2\. So I confirm here that Volga was part of Cloud's group but abandoned ship. He lived to see another day and is valuing Link's wish. I cannot say what Link said before he died since it's kind of important, but now you know why Volga is here.**

 **3\. The pact is similar to the one in the Fate Night series. The pact is a tattoo that is on the dragon and the two people who swear a life pact to him or her. This pact is powered by the bond between the three similar to the support system in Fire Emblem. Transferring energy is through sexual acts mostly, but because Corrin is a healer, he can transfer a bare minimum after healing Bayonetta or Cloud. If they want a bigger boost, they need to be more sexual with him. Trading body fluids usually does the trick but sex obviously gives the most energy and it has to be done the day before (so it can actually take effect). The effect depends on the person. Corrin is supposed to be the one that pleasures his friends since they're the ones doing the fighting, but it can work in reverse. Corrin gets powered up regardless, but he has to do a good job to work effectively. And yes, because it's a threesome pact, Bayonetta and Cloud can help each other out. The power boost isn't as big as if they did it with Corrin, but it's still a major difference especially if they can't rely on him. I'll admit that this pact won't have much use except allowing Corrin to claim that he belongs to Bayonetta and Cloud and vice versa. Later on, there will be better uses for the pact. And yes, the pact forces the sexual relationship first before the bonding which will lead to problems at the beginning (and you'll see it in the next chapter specifically).**

 **4\. The symbol on Corrin's back is the Silent Dragon of Valla. The one Cloud and Bayonetta have are half of that symbol. I chose this symbol because Corrin is not associated with Hoshido or Nohr and Izumo does not have a dragon.**

 **5\. If anyone was wondering why Bayonetta hasn't been fighting for most of the story, it's because of what was shown in the flashback. Bayonetta is scared of the idea of Madama Butterfly breaking free and killing the people she cares for. She still has the pact and the powers, but she isn't as strong as she could be. This applies to all the other demons she has. However, this is soon to change. At the moment, she hasn't found a real reason to summon if Cloud is willing to protect her.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	14. Memories of the Hunt

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing:** **Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy! I'm putting a minor warning here about the content of Bayonetta's flashback that is written first. It's not really for the faint heart given the subject matter. If you're grossed out, you might want to skip the scene, but otherwise, continue on.**

Chapter 14: Memories of the Hunt

* * *

 _The further Bayonetta ventured into her memories, the more awful the memories became. This time, the memories that were playing in her mind concerned the time she and her friends were captured and tortured by the inquisitors during the witch hunt. Her capture could have been avoided if she summoned Madama Butterfly to handle the inquisitors. The Umbra Witch froze up during the summoning process though. She recalled how Madama Butterfly had every intention of killing her seeing as how the raven haired witch was weak. Even if she needed to risk it, Bayonetta just couldn't do it in fear that Madama Butterfly would make things worse. As a result, her friends were being defeated by the inquisitors one by one until they came to her. Bayonetta hated how she froze up in that moment. Compared to her friends who put up a fight, Bayonetta was easily disarmed. The inquisitors realized who she was and gave orders to not hurt her in comparison to her other friends. Compared to them, she was more important in the Umbran Clan. She was seen as the best friend of Jeanne who was considered the next heir. If they wanted to be at an advantage, they needed to make sure her friend was alive when they started negotiating with them._

 _"Now, be a good little girl and come with us." The inquisitor said in a mocking tone._

 _Bayonetta hated this so much. She was great in combat, but when the inquisitors came knocking at their door with the very real idea that they would massacre them, she just couldn't protect her friends or herself. She would have to carry that L with her always and would forever be seen as a coward (but this was under the assumption everyone survived)._

 _Bayonetta and her friends were taken a prison in Nohr. It wasn't your usual prison. It was a prison underneath the church a little ways outside of Nohr territory. This was specifically used by the inquisitors as there had been some problems going on in Nohr that prevented them from setting a church up with a prison underneath. Garon was a jerk ruler, but apparently he took offense to whatever they did underneath the prison for whatever reason. The inquisitors were terrible individuals in Bayonetta's mind. Even before the witch hunt, there had been rumors that they had kidnapped witches and done unimaginable things to them. It was why witches were told to stay clear from the inquisitors. Metallia obviously paid no heed seeing as how she befriended one of them, but that friendship did not save her from being captured._

 _Bayonetta, Selene, Sabina, Metallia and Malia were all captured and thrown into different cells. Before they were thrown in, they all had an anti-magic collar created by the inquisition slapped around their neck. There was no way for them to use any magic of any sort. Bayonetta was lucky to be thrown into the same cell as Selene and Sabina. Metalia was placed in the cell opposite of Bayonetta and her mother was in the cell to the right of the raven haired witch. There had to be a reason for this particular grouping._

 _Sabina would not stop crying after being captured. They handled her roughly and she was certain they broke her arm. On further inspection, she wasn't injured too much and was just overreacting. Regardless, Selene was trying to get her to stop crying in order to not draw attention to their cell. Bayonetta played with her collar abet annoyed at how tightly it was around her. She looked up to see Metallia trying to kick down the bars of her cell down and was getting more frustrated when she wasn't able to do so._

 _"GOD DAMMIT!" She cursed as she stopped kicking the bar. "WHY CAN'T THESE BREAK?"_

 _"You're not physically strong enough to do so." Malia told her causing Metallia to snarl at her._

 _"Oh shut up, you bitch! You and that half-breed are the reason we all got caught!"_

 _Bayonetta flinched at the accusation. Malia was far from pleased._

 _"Are you serious?" Malia hissed. "You know full well this happened because of you!"_

 _"My fault?! You're supposed to be one of the strongest witches in the clan! How do you lose like that?!"_

 _"You couldn't even protect yourself! You're just as powerful as me and you had the home free advantage in the swamp region! Do not tell me that you didn't know my powers are reduced in half in your damn region!"_

 _Metallia wanted to bark back so badly, but Selene begged her to stop fighting. She hissed because she knew that another reason her mother hated her was because of having powers that nullified her own. The forest cannot live in a toxic area and having a daughter who shot toxic fumes only made things more difficult for her. Because Metallia stopped shouting, she would be forced to hear Sabina sob even more and hear Sabina hating herself for being a useless witch. Bayonetta wanted to say something, but the minute she heard footsteps, she decided to keep her opinion to herself. This was probably a good thing given how Metallia's temper would flare up the minute she saw who was walking with the inquisitor._

 _"BELDA, YOU TRAITOR!" Metallia screamed. "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR UGLY FACE HERE!"_

 _Belda was the last person Bayonetta or anyone would have expected to betray the witch clan. Belda was a youthful witch with brown hair and brown eyes. She dressed up as a stereotypical witch with a black robe and a witch hat, and also wore glasses to give the impression that she was full of wisdom. On the surface, she appeared shy and weak but wanted to help others in their witch training. The witch in front of them now was a cruel, manipulative woman who was only out for herself._

 _"They don't call me the Scum Witch for nothing." Belda retorted with a sinister smile. "You look good in a cage. All of you do."_

 _As Metallia continued to curse her out, Bayonetta watched the inquisitor she was with. She shivered when he looked toward the cell she was being held in. His small eyes scanned her body from head to toe. It caused her to cover her chest seeing as he was looking there._

 _"Really, why would I be with a clan that is going to be wiped out soon?" Belda hummed. "There's no problem jumping ship and siding with the winning side? I think the Umbran Elder is foolish to think that Jeanne will save us all."_

 _"She will…" Bayonetta mumbled. "She's the strongest of all of us…"_

 _Belda heard what the raven haired witch said and laughed. "You will be her downfall. Jeanne cares for a half-breed like you too much."_

 _Bayonetta responded by glaring weakly at her. She believed Jeanne would not put her life over hers if the situation called for it. Right now, things were looking bad, but she believed that if they played the prisoner roll, nothing worse could happen._

 _She was wrong. Dead wrong._

 _Her memories started to become a blur again at what exactly happened. She could hear Malia lecture Belda about thinking short term over long term and treating her like a spoiled child. She recalled Belda snapping at her and how Malia deserved to be punished for being the witch everyone liked and went to her for everything. Her vision was black at what transpired next._

 _Belda had dragged Malia out of the cell she was in and ordered the guards and Totopepe to beat her up. The screaming and shouting from the other captives became apparent. In comparison to the other witches who demanded that Belda stop them, Bayonetta had covered her ears to not hear Malia's pained cries. Even with her ears covered, she could hear the sound of bones breaking. Looking at her, she could see Malia cough up blood once she was kicked enough times in the stomach._

 _And then her memories became completely distorted when Belia cast a wicked spell to turn Malia into a mouse after she was done tormenting her. What she did next was unforgettable. Bayonetta had tried her best to filter this portion of her memory but it was too gruesome to ignore. Belda had summoned a pack of horny male mice to rape Malia while she was a small mouse. She could never forget the screams that everyone had, the tears everyone shed or how even Metallia was disturbed by Belda's cruelty._

 _"YOU MONSTER! YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Metallia howled as she desperately tried to knock the cell bars down._

 _Belda found this action amusing as did Totopepe._

 _"Ha ha…you're funny Metallia. You're in rage for what I did to your mother, but this very scenario is what you wanted to happen to Malia from the very beginning."_

 _Bayonetta honestly wanted to throw up at what Belda just said about Metallia. There was no way her friend was this cruel! Yes, Metallia had a short temper and told people to go kill themselves when she was angry, but there was no way she wished beastality on her mother just because Malia didn't show her enough affection._

 _"The projection is strong here." Bayonetta hissed toward Belda who stopped laughing to see the sexy witch giving her the best glare she could muster. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you hated Malia for how popular she was. She did rat you out when you tried to romance someone behind the Umbran Elder's back."_

 _"Silence, you bitch." Belda snarled as a response._

 _"I mean, yeah…the man you were interested in was hot, but he was too busy romancing someone else to care about you."_

 _Bayonetta really should have kept her mouth shut. She knew she was next if she continued to stand up for Metallia. Belda was not having any of it. Metallia let out a horrible cry when Belda took something out from underneath her robe._

 _"Do you see what this is? Of course Lea recognizes it. This is her journal. In this journal are her true thoughts and feelings of others." Belda hummed when she said this. "There is hardly anything positive that is written in here. All that is here is a list of horrible things Lea wants done to the people she knows in her life."_

 _"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Metallia cursed as she lashed out in the cell she was in. She was a fool to think that she would be able to break down the bars in order to retrieve the journal. "GIVE IT BACK!"_

 _"No can do. Besides, I already read it." Belda reminded her with a laugh. "Everything I did to your mother was what you had written in here."_

 _Bayonetta could not believe it. Even if Belda did open the journal to that page and said the most horrifying things about Malia, she would continue to trust the Swamp Witch. Her trust faltered though when Belda decided to talk about Metallia's true feelings about the raven haired witch._

 _"Lea, why do you look so scared when I said I was going to talk about Cereza?" Belda asked as she turned to a specific page in Metallia's journal. "If everything written here are lies, why do you look ready to cry?"_

 _"I'll fucking kill you when I get out of here!" Metallia howled as she started shaking the bars of the jail cell she was in. "Just you wait!"_

 _Belda hummed as she started reciting Metallia's hateful words that were directed toward Bayonetta. This part of her memory was very hazy and Bayonetta knew why. There were some things Metallia had thought about her that nearly caused her to meltdown._

 _" **Cereza is so lucky. She's a half-breed but gets special treatment from everyone all because she sucked up to the old hag's daughter! Jeanne is my friend too, but Cereza can never be away from Jeanne for long! Uh, her co-dependency is disgusting. I bet if Selene's fortune was true, then I would have Jeanne to myself. You know what? I wish that fortune was true! Then that whore can go get fucked! Compared to the rest of us, all that bitch has is her sexy looks and her glamorous body! No one would be able to resist her! Heh…maybe I should find a spell that attracts men to her. They would never be able to leave her alone and would stalk her every night. That half-breed isn't strong enough to resist them either. She would be easy picking. I know how much of a crybaby Cereza is. They would so turned on by a strong looking woman being brought to tears that they would kidnap her and no one would care if she vanished. I wouldn't care! Just knock the fucking bitch up! I would love to see the face she makes when she gets a dick shoved up her vagina! She's one of those stupid types who thinks that the first time is sooooo sacred and important! We're witches! Who gives a fuck! Just get fucked and get pregnant! You'll be doing us all a favor if you do!"**_

 _Belda's mere existence was causing Bayonetta's mind to start shut down. There was static, there was blackness and it was becoming difficult to focus. Bayonetta thought she was suffocating. Red lines were starting to cover her vision as she begged Belda to stop talking. Belda said a few more things specifically about what Metallia wanted to happen to Bayonetta in complete detail. It was one thing to wish misfortune on someone, but Metallia had a sick fantasy of what she wanted to happen to Bayonetta should she actually be kidnapped and raped. At this point, people were screaming how it was all a lie. What was the lie though? The words Metallia wrote down or Metallia being a good friend? Bayonetta heard someone sobbing. Was that her or was that Metallia? She didn't know. Everything was just fading to black as something reached out to her and…_

* * *

"Bayonetta, are you listening to me? Earth to Bayonetta!"

Bayonetta gasped as she returned to reality. She did not realize that she zoned out in the middle of a conversation. She had returned from her secret base and had gone straight to the room she was allowed to stay in. Bayonetta was going to take a nap until dinner, but Corrin had come into her room with the intention of talking to her about setting boundaries about the pact seeing as how she wasn't exactly thrilled with how the pact would work. Corrin was taught early on to respect a lady. If Corrin were to romance a woman, he would have to compromise with her. Orochi joked how women were delicate creatures and needed a man capable of understanding them. If a man failed to do something as basic as respect a woman's boundaries, then he didn't deserve a woman at all. The pact forced him and Bayonetta into a relationship of some sorts and if they talk about it now, then they won't have problems later.

"Bayonetta, are you okay?" Corrin asked her once she got your attention. "You look really pale."

"…I'm fine dear. The pact made me tired."

Bayonetta was telling a half-truth. The pact did exhaust her, but she didn't want to admit that she let her past get the best of her and her mind wandered to that horrible time period eighteen years ago. The past wasn't nice to her. Anankos' words about Metallia not being a nice person ended up being true to an extent. Bayonetta knew the type of person the Swamp Witch is. That journal was filled with nothing but lies that Belda made to break the raven haired witch. Metallia wasn't evil…

"Bayonetta…did you hear anything I said at all?" Corrin asked reluctantly.

"Sorry, it must not have been interesting for me to listen." The Umbra Witch replied coldly.

Corrin shook his head as a response. "I guess the pact won't really matter after all."

"Hmm?"

"Well, if you don't want to talk about the pact, then you'll be willing to listen to the other topic I brought up…"

"Which is?"

"I was hoping if you knew someone or had something that could help look into any past events…"

Bayonetta had to admit that was a rather interesting topic. "Go on."

"Well…besides returning to Izumo and asking Izana about what he uncovered during his investigation, I considered the possibility that if evidence lead to someone like Macbeth being the killer, it would be best to have an item that showed the last moments of my mother's death. It would resolve everything more easily than pointing the finger I admit…" Corrin wasn't really happened thinking about Mikoto's death and for good reasons. "I haven't done much in terms of my own investigation. I've been learning more about myself if anything ever since her death…"

"…There was someone I knew who could look into someone's past…" Bayonetta began.

"Really?!"

"…Yeah…but she's been dead for eighteen years. She was a victim of the witch hunt…"

Corrin cursed to himself for letting his hopes get high before Bayonetta was even finished speaking.

"Still…I think her items are still scattered around the forest area." The Umbra Witch continued. "Selene…thought ahead when we were attacked. She didn't want this specific item in the enemy hands. She didn't want anyone using this as a way of getting back at people as she would say, so she took her crystal ball and shattered it into little pieces…"

"That's…"

"Eighteen years…one would think those shards were gone forever…but Selene was a powerful witch…so I don't think those shards are actually gone…"

"You mean…"

"Yes…if I can remember what my friend told me, I think I would be able to put these shards back together and form the original item that she had."

This was a huge if on Bayonetta's part. She was banking on the items still being usable even if she were to find them. Whenever Selene forced her group of friends to play with her, she would tell them where exactly certain items were making it easier for them. Granted, Metallia never seemed to be able to find anything no matter what Selene said, so many items were lost forever because of this. However, when it came to her weapons she used in combat, she specifically told Bayonetta the locations based on landmarks instead of actual locations in order to avoid the enemy from figuring out what she was talking about.

"Umm…where are these items exactly?" Corrin asked suspiciously.

"What? You aren't venturing outside of Valla to look for something that might no longer exist…right?"

"…Anything to find my mother's killer. I think I wasted enough time here doing nothing but hiding out and waiting for everything to calm down. I need to be more proactive in this search…or the killer might slip away…or worse…Macbeth will find someone like Cloud and pin him as the killer."

Bayonetta was well aware that the evil tactician would do that. He wanted Cloud dead, and the best way would be to frame him. Until he had that damning evidence, Cloud would be safe.

"…I feel like you're grasping at straws. It was a suggestion, but I don't think that my friend was dumb enough to keep the items intact…"

"It doesn't matter. Even if there is a one percent chance we'll find the item, it's worth the shot."

"…You'll have to fight some monsters that are outside of Valla." The raven haired witch stated. "Your training will be put to the test. Now Volga and Cloud have both stated that you have improved a lot in such a short amount of time, but this is actual fighting where you're going to have to kill something to survive. Are you okay with that?"

Corrin hesitated to speak. He didn't consider the monsters that were in the area. The soldiers on patrol tended to deal with them unless something serious was going on. That was when royals stepped in to finish the job. His hands were starting to shake, but the dragon prince took this as a sign that he was excited rather than nervous.

"I am prepared for that." The Izumo prince answered. "If you're worried that I won't protect you, don't worry! I will protect you from the demons while you search for the shards!"

"Who said I was going to get my hands dirty for…" Bayonetta stopped speaking when she realized that there was no way out of this. She brought this on herself. The least she could do was humor Corrin a little bit and participate. If she did find the items that belonged to Selene, then it would give her leverage in combat should she find a way to repair them. "…Alright. You win. I'll help you out. But do not expect me to help you should a demon show up. You can handle yourself."

Corrin was actually getting excited now. He was finally able to do something without being told to stay back and let others handle it. Corrin could finally be useful to someone. Bayonetta would not admit it, but her expectations were raised concerning the idea of finding something else besides Selene's lost items. They would need to hurry up and do this. It was almost dinner time and they would need to be back before anyone noticed they were gone. The last thing Bayonetta wanted was for Cloud to notice that they went off item hunting without him to guard them. The Umbra Witch was going to allow the blond to have his nap. He needed to save his strength.

… _But if anything the prince can't handle shows up…I might have to fight. I hope it does not come down to that._

* * *

So Bayonetta wasn't completely telling the truth. She did have at least one item from Selene that she had kept with her. The item was called the Summoning Gate and it allowed the Umbra Witch to summon anything from any time period…well…that was what it was supposed to do. Bayonetta wasn't Selene and didn't know how to use it properly, so what she ended up doing with the Summoning Gate was use it to create portals to any location on the Invisible Continent. She could only create portals to places she has been to hence why she hasn't been able to create a portal on the Outer Continent.

There was another weapon that belonged to Selene that was in Bayonetta's possession. It was called the Guardian's Scepter and this was the item that was used offensively and defensively. Bayonetta didn't use this as a weapon though. She kept it as a remembrance of her fallen friend. On closer inspection of the scepter, one could see that there used to be a crystal ball in the center of the staff. That is the same crystal ball Selene used to do her fortune telling with. That crystal ball could also look into the past and use the information given from the crystal ball to be used offensively. Bayonetta recalled how that crystal ball was shattered so the enemy wouldn't claim the scepter. If she could find these shards, she might be able to fix the crystal ball and recreate the moment of Mikoto's death.

From what Bayonetta would remember Selene had shattered the crystal ball in the swamp location. The goal was for the hope that the swamp would swallow up the shards and never be seen again. Selene didn't have the best luck though, so chances were that the shards were still in the swamp region.

Corrin didn't know what to expect following Bayonetta to this region of the Invisible Continent. He wasn't allowed to leave Izumo without someone like Gunter escorting him around, and when he was allowed to leave, it was for important task only. Corrin could only travel to Hoshido and Nohr to visit his siblings on important days. The only time Corrin could venture outside was when he was searching for herbs to make the medicines he was known for.

The swamp region was notorious for being the region everyone avoided due to the awful stench that could kill a normal human if they stayed in the area too long. Bayonetta remembered how it was worse when Metallia was still alive. As the Swamp Witch, she thrived on gooey waters and dead wastelands. Metallia actually could not leave the swamp region and if she were to venture far away from it, she would need an item that kept her magic level high. Without the swamp, Metallia would die from the lack of magic. Not all witches were like this though, but they needed magic to be able to function properly and defend themselves, and her magic could be maintained by doing normal human things like eating and sleeping.

With Metallia dead, the swamp was easily accessible even to humans. However, the bad smell still resided in the air and the area was still a barren wasteland. Bayonetta would think that because the swamp water was no longer elevated that it would be easy to find the shards of the crystal ball. Bayonetta was aware that Selene used special materials to make her crystal ball, and the only reason it was a good idea to venture at night to search for it was because of how the shards were said to have sparkled in the moonlight. The moon was up in the sky giving light to the dragon prince and the Umbra Witch.

Bayonetta was disappointed that the shards were not in plain sight. However, the shards were together in one place…

"…Bayonetta…what is that?"

The shards were eaten by a swamp monster that roamed the area. It looked like a demon from hell more than anything with the color scheme, but it was clearly a weak frog like monster that ruled the area now that the Queen of the Swamp was long since dead.

"It's the monster that ate the items I need." Bayonetta answered as she went over to a nearby tree to rest her back against it. "You can handle it."

"Wait…what?"

"I asked if you were prepared to test your training on a monster and not a training partner. You can handle this thing on your own. It doesn't like water attacks."

"Y-Yes but…"

"I'll be waiting right here if you need me."

Even if she said that, she had no intention of lifting a finger. Corrin sighed as he stared at the swamp monster in front of him. His legs were trembling slightly. This thing was huge, but Bayonetta made it seem like it wasn't a hard monster to fight. If it was weak against water, then he should have the advantage…except Corrin had no idea how exactly to shoot water in dragon form at will. When he was training with Volga, he learned how to turn his hands and feet into spears, but he had yet to figure out how to turn his hand into a dragon mouth that could shoot water out of said mouth. Because this process was too tedious for him, he decided to just use the dragonstone to turn his entire body into a dragon instead of parts of his body. Volga had joked he would find use for half-transformations in the near future.

 _At least the thing hasn't spotted me yet._ Corrin thought to himself as he observed where the swamp monster was looking and how far he could be from him before he was detected. _Since I don't want to waste too much time, I should get rid of it before it discovers I am here to kill it._

Walking in the water was a great way to be detected. Corrin had no other way to approach though besides trying to go around when the swamp monster wasn't looking his direction. Bayonetta found it hilarious how Corrin assumed it was a sound based monster, when it was clearly a vision based one. Corrin would be able to walk in the water and kill it in one hit and it wouldn't be able to notice until it got back attacked.

It took Corrin some time to walk around it without stepping in too much swamp water. At times like this, Corrin wished he wore shoes. It was gross to be walking barefoot in the icky water. He would need to bathe himself when this was all said and done.

He positioned himself in a way to where his spear hand would be able to poke the frog demon before transforming his hand into a spear and impaling it in the back. The frog demon let out a startled croaked as it tried to hop away. Corrin was taken for a ride as he could not get his spear out of the demon in time. The silver haired prince yelped as he was forced to ride the frog while it was a state of panic. He had Yatogami in the other hand and ended up impaled the frog in the back. If the frog demon could see what was attacking it, then it would have no problem counterattacking. The swamp water wasn't deep, so it couldn't jump in the water for protection. Corrin used this opportunity to take his spear out…only to impale it again. The dragon prince had no problem scaling the demon before him.

The frog was in such a state of panic that it started hopping in Bayonetta's direction. Corrin knew he had to kill the frog quickly before it trampled her. Not like it should have been a problem. This was Bayonetta and she was capable of handling herself.

"Oh, you want to play?" She asked rather annoyed that Corrin didn't kill the thing quickly enough. "You should hop the other way. I don't play nice with ugly things."

After impaling it the fifth time, Corrin finally took his Yatogami and jabbed the frog demon in between its eye sockets. The dragon prince was surprised with his violent actions, but then he had to remember that he had witnessed his potential step siblings fight demons like these gruesomely and how he should have no mercy fighting them even when he was better off as a healer. The killing was for a friend after all…

Corrin let out a sigh of relief as he took down the gooey swamp monster before it even had a chance to touch the Umbra Witch. He looked at her to see the unreadable expression she wore. Did she freeze up when the swamp monster turned its attention to her or was he just imagining it? Instead of picking up the pieces that Bayonetta would need, he ended up approaching her and asking her questions that could get him slapped.

"Bayonetta, why didn't you help me fight the monster? You know it had something you needed, but forced me to do all the work."

"Do you expect a lady to do a man's job?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"N-No…not really…I mean…I usually had Gunter and Flora do all the fighting for me and…"

"You're spoiled, boy." The raven haired witch interrupted him mid-sentence. "Do not expect people to do the work for you."

"Uhh…but you just…"

"I'll pick up the pieces that were inside the monster at least. I don't want you touching it."

"…Lazy…" Corrin murmured under his breath as the Umbra Witch walked over to the swampy area to pick it up.

Bayonetta wished she didn't have to get her outfit dirty, but she would simply take a bath after she was done fixing the crystal ball.

As she picked up the few large shards around her, she paused feeling something ominous in the air. Corrin didn't seem to notice that there was something wrong and continued to complain under his breath.

"Corrin, we leave immediately." Bayonetta told him as she picked up all the shards she needed and put them away in her hair. Corrin was amazed that Bayonetta could use her hair as an item pouch of some sorts.

"Huh? Why? Is the scent here that bad?"

Before Bayonetta can explain to Corrin what was going on, an arrow soared through the air and almost hit the dragon prince had the Umbra Witch not stepped in and took the arrow to the shoulder. She let out a pained cry as she looked before her.

"…Hoshido soldiers…" She hissed.

"W-What?!"

"We were being spied on…and of course I'm too slow to stop the arrow. I won't the next time around."

Corrin was confused by this. She ordered the dragon prince to get on the ground. Corrin was lucky he was out of the swamp when he ducked. He would only have to worry about his armor getting dirty. Another arrow was shot in Bayonetta's direction and this time, she dodged it at the last moment causing time to slow down around her. She snarled as she took out her worn down handguns that she was hiding under her sleeves and fired magical bullets at it. The arrow was split in half due to the bullet and hit whoever fired the arrow in the forest. Once time returned to normal, a Hoshidan soldier let out a horrified scream as the bullet pierced his chest. It surprised the other soldiers who thought they had the upper hand.

"It's rude to stalk a lady." Bayonetta hummed as she had every intention of charging into the forest to deal with the Hoshidan soldiers who were in a state of panic. Corrin stopped her though.

"D-Don't kill them! They'll assume the worst!"

"Boy, they already think I'm with Cloud, so it won't matter if I kill a few of them."

The Hoshidan soldiers decided to reveal themselves after their comrade had fallen. They were carrying katanas, naginatas and two more were archers. Bayonetta noted how they all had a purple color on their weapon.

"…Poison weapons…" She murmured as she felt her body start to become cold. "…I guess I'm already poisoned…"

"There she is! Get her!"

Corrin wanted to stand up and order the soldiers to stand down, but he would be frozen in time when another arrow was sent Bayonetta's way. She froze time again and charged toward the soldiers. Once she counted that there were six Hoshido soldiers, she made quick work of them and their weapons. Again, she shot the arrow and hit the soldier who fired it square in the forehead this time. She shot at the other archer and did the same thing. Bayonetta would then go toward the naginata users and simply ripped the blade portion off the e-bu. The blade portion was covered with poison so she couldn't touch it. Instead, she just shot the guy in the stomach and called it a day. Before time returned to normal, she shot the other naginata user in the neck.

Once time returned to normal, blood spilled everywhere on the ground and the Hoshidan soldiers screamed in horror at more comrades falling to the ground and not standing up.

"Y-You bitch! What did you do to them?!"

Bayonetta responded with a smirk. There were only two soldiers left. They both intended to charge her. She did stop time again, but this time, she transformed into a group of bats that ended up flying up behind the remaining two soldiers. She hummed as she kicked one of the soldiers down and then shot her magic bullets in a way that it was in the shape of a heart. The bullets would hit the chest area where the heart was bumping, so when time returned to normal, the man's blood splattered in the shape of a heart. The guy on the ground tried to get up but Bayonetta stepped on his back with an amused expression.

"You Hoshidans need to realize that you simply cannot fuck with a witch." She taunted as she pointed her handgun in his face. "I hope my demon companions are happy with the sacrifice."

The soldier didn't even get to ask what she was talking about as she shot him in the face. Bayonetta sighed that she had to resort to murder despite Corrin saying otherwise.

The prince was scared at what just happened. One moment, Bayonetta was right next to him. The next, she was next to the soldiers who were dead from whatever spell she used. He blinked one more time and she finished killing the soldiers that attacked them. However, now that there were no more enemies, she fell to her knees while clutching her injured shoulder.

"Damn…this poison is stronger than I thought…" She murmured darkly.

"Bayonetta!"

Corrin stood up and rushed toward the Umbra Witch's side. She wanted to slap his hand away, but when he approached her, he knew what was wrong.

"Don't move…this arrow will…"

"No worries…I can remove it." Bayonetta reassured him as she forcibly removed the arrow from her shoulder. She hissed in pain as she threw the arrow down to the ground. "I can't believe I could still shoot with an arrow like that in me."

"Don't move, Bayonetta! You're injured!"

"I can see that…"

"If you see that, then stop making it worse!" The dragon prince snapped as he noticed she was trying to stand up. "Wait, I'm going to take us back to Valla. I'm certain there is medicine there to treat the poison."

"Don't return to Valla, you fool…"

"Huh? Why not? You're injured!"

"Did you not see the soldiers I just killed? There may be more. If you take me back to Valla, they might follow us and bring in reinforcements. Use your head, kid…"

Corrin didn't think about the consequences of transporting her to Valla. He was more concerned with saving her life. She was right though. He needed to stay away from Valla until he was certain there were no more soldiers in the area. It meant he would have to find a cave of sorts and hide her. He sighed as he transformed into a dragon and slowly lifted her on his back. She was still able to move, so it wasn't a painful process.

" **HANG ON TIGHT. I WILL GET YOU TO A SAFE PLACE AND TAKE CARE OF YOU."**

Bayonetta rolled her eyes at Corrin speaking in dragon form. He needed to keep his voice down if he didn't want to alert anyone. The Umbra Witch also knew she had to conserve her strength and just held onto his neck. She failed to realize the blush threatening to creep up as a result of it.

* * *

Corrin's luck favored him for once. He was able to find a cave outside of the swamp area that would bide him some time. After looking behind him to see if there weren't any soldiers following him, Corrin shifted back into his human form and placed Bayonetta close to the wall. He wore a grim expression seeing the Umbra Witch become paler by the minute. She was fighting back against the poison very well, but Corrin didn't like the type of poison that was used.

 _I know in Hoshido there are weapons catered to specific races on this continent._ Corrin thought to himself as he got his staff out. He attempted to remove the poison this way. _Why is there a weapon catered to killing witches though? If the witch tribe was wiped out eighteen years ago, why would there even be a need for a witch hunter weapon? Where would they get it and how did they know Bayonetta was even here? Did someone direct them here…could it be Macbeth? No…it couldn't be…_

The Izumo prince noticed how Bayonetta was shuffling slightly when he was trying to heal her. He shook his head in annoyance. "Stay still. You're not well enough to be moving around."

"…How dreadful…" Bayonetta murmured as a response. "I didn't think I was this…rusty…"

"It's not your fault. There shouldn't be any witch hunter weapons left if you're the last surviving witch." Corrin told her. "There shouldn't be any poison directly aimed at witches either…"

Bayonetta chuckled nervously as she started to shiver. The poison was working too fast and Corrin's normal healing ability wasn't going to cut it. He cursed to himself how he didn't have time to go outside and look for herbs that could cure the poison. There weren't that many options left.

 _Wait…what if…_

Corrin gulped realizing what he was thinking. He had no choice though in the matter. First, he placed his staff aside before suddenly grabbing at the Umbra Witch.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry Bayonetta, but I'm going to need you to strip… and I know you don't have the strength to do so…"

Bayonetta did not react well to that. Corrin would have laughed how much strength she regained when the dragon prince tried to remove her suit. She could easily use whatever magic she had to remove it, but Corrin knew she needed to conserve her strength. As a result, he had no problem ripping off the upper portion of her outfit. Her expression darkened at this action.

"You have five seconds…to explain yourself…"

"Save your strength." Corrin told her as a response. "I need to remove the poison from your body now and my normal magic is not cutting it. None of the spells I have will help you, so I'm going to test Azura's theory about combining the power of the pact with my abilities as an Invisible Dragon."

Bayonetta was not aware of Corrin speaking to Azura about the creative ways he could heal people. If there was an opportunity, it might have been when the Umbra Witch zoned out when she was remembering her past. Even if she protested, she knew she didn't have the strength to resist. It was best to let Corrin do what he wanted instead of fight back and have the poison spread through her body faster. She wanted to live long enough to get off this horrible continent.

"Make it fast…"

Corrin had every intention of healing her quickly. Bayonetta was shot in the shoulder opposite of where the pact mark was, so that was where Corrin mainly tore off the suit. He tried his best to avoid looking at her somewhat exposed cleavage and placed his hand where the poison arrow impaled her. The Umbra Witch hissed at the sudden pain in her shoulder.

 _The question is how do I activate the pact with Bayonetta…I know Father said the more sexualized the interaction was, the more powerful the pact…but I don't know how to do that without getting poisoned…I mean…if my species is about healing people and not worrying about sickness…then I should be fine in doing this…but…_

Corrin blushed at the idea he had. He murmured a small apology before suddenly biting at her shoulder. She yelped as she tried to move away.

"C-Corrin?! W-What are you…"

It was obvious what he was doing. Corrin knew it was a bad idea to risk removing the poison via the mouth and then applying a healing spell. This was a health hazard that could not only poison the person that was attempting to remove the poison, but it also didn't guarantee that the person who was poisoned would be saved. Regular healing spells weren't working, and Corrin was betting his dragon genes that the poison would not even be remotely dangerous to him as a species in comparison to Bayonetta. It was just a huge gamble, but Corrin didn't have time to think of the consequences. He needed to activate the pact for that strong healing boost now!

Bayonetta attempted to push Corrin back despite his actions. Corrin would suck enough blood from her shoulder before spitting it out. He ordered her not to move so he wouldn't bite her in areas where he had no business to bite. The Umbra Witch called him out on his unconventional way of removing the poison before being forced to hold her tongue. Corrin's body was starting to glow with his actions, and her body started to glow as well. The dragon prince kept his hand on the Umbra Witch so whatever magic the pact was giving him would flow into her body. With every bite, Bayonetta ended up gasping. Corrin thought it was because of the pain, but it was clearly from something else he didn't want to acknowledge.

Once Corrin was certain he sucked enough of the poison out, he quickly grabbed his staff and placed it where the wound was. It was his turn to let out a surprised gasp feeling his entire body become hot upon his staff making contact with the Umbra Witch. He couldn't see the symbol on his pact was glowing as he rid the rest of the poison from Bayonetta's body. The raven haired witch was trying to hide the blush that was on her face. Corrin didn't seem to realize that the light that was engulfing her was causing her to react badly. Because Corrin was sitting in between her legs, it was difficult for Bayonetta to move her legs. She wanted to close her legs up, so Corrin wouldn't start noticing something was wrong with her. Corrin did notice though. By the time he finished hearing her, he was certain he heard an orgasmic cry from her.

… _Why is the pact like this?_ Corrin asked himself. _I just wanted to save Bayonetta's life…not…_

"…Of all the ways to heal me…you went for the kinky way…" The Umbra Witch hissed. She was doing her best to catch her breath after the rush she was feeling. Corrin moved off of her, so she would be able to move her body. The first thing she did was use her arm to cover half of her face. She then closed her legs. "As much as I enjoy a rush…this is not the time…"

"…Sorry…" Corrin mumbled. "At least I know the pact works…are you feeling better…in terms of the poison. You feel your energy coming back?"

"As a matter of fact…"

Bayonetta didn't need to finish her sentence. She knew the answer. Corrin's healing magic worked wonders. The poison specifically meant to kill her was removed. There didn't seem to be any signs that Corrin was poisoned as a result of sucking the poison out. It was still the unconventional way to heal…ever…

"I never felt better. Just don't use methods like that on me again…"

The Umbra Witch felt her magic returning to her quickly. She could easily use her magic to have her hair cover the parts of her suit that was ripped off. She fixed her outfit up immediately before standing up.

"I'm really sorry…we're not used to how the pact works so…"

Bayonetta ignored him after the first apology. He didn't need to apologize again when he needed to heal her as soon as possible. The older woman decided to look around the cave to get an idea where they were hiding. She wasn't all that pleased.

"…Another cave where I used to play as a kid…" She murmured darkly.

"R-Really?" Corrin asked. "I mean…"

Bayonetta debated on whether to venture further into the cave or not. On one hand, she felt like there was nothing in the cave she could use. On the other hand, she wanted to confirm something about this cave that was near the Swamp Region that Metallia controlled.

"Bayonetta?"

The Umbra Witch ventured ahead forcing the dragon prince to chase after her and shouting how she shouldn't be moving around.

* * *

The further they went into the cave, the more Bayonetta realized how bad this cave was for a hiding spot. Compared to the secret base she had with Jeanne, anyone could have gotten in. The glyphs on the cave walls recognized a witch was in the cave and lit up with the color that the Umbra Witch represented. For Bayonetta, the glyphs glowed red that gave an ominous feeling for Corrin as the two walked deeper into the cave. Bayonetta assumed that because this was Metallia's secret base that the glyphs shined a green color instead.

"What is this place supposed to be?" Corrin asked as he tried to decipher what the glyph symbols were.

"It's my friend's secret base." Bayonetta answered. "A long time ago, this cave was surrounded by a thick swamp that prevented anyone from getting close. Ever since she died, the swamp's power has started to deteriorate. That is why you were able to get in…because in the past…you would not have been able to do that unless my friend used too much magic in battle."

"I…see…"

"…This was the place where my friends and I were captured." Bayonetta admittedly darkly to herself. "If only I wasn't such a coward back then…"

"Are you still scared now?"

Corrin was asking to get his ass kicked by asking that. She was far from pleased judging from how she started walking more slowly.

"Now why would you ask that?"

"Well…just now…in combat…while I can imagine you're just rusty…you hesitated."

"Oh?"

"Forgive me for judging you now, but I cannot believe you refuse to fight out of laziness. Something or someone is holding you back…I do not believe you should have gotten hit by that arrow. Cloud thinks very highly of you and that didn't look to be your best."

Bayonetta stopped walking nearly causing Corrin to run into her. He gulped realizing that he might have pushed her buttons.

"You don't have to tell me anything!" Corrin shouted as he waved his arms in front of him frantically. "I was just thinking out loud! I'm probably wrong anyway and you were just caught off guard! Don't mind me…"

"You're more observant than I give you credit for."

Corrin wasn't expecting this response. Bayonetta had turned around with huge frown on her face. She folded her arms and sighed. She decided to talk to Corrin for once instead of giving vague information that he couldn't possibility piece together.

"…I'm having problems with my summon demon." Bayonetta admitted reluctantly. "I could deny it all I want, but she is holding me back."

"W-Who?"

"Madama Butterfly…also known as the Mistress of Atrocity in Inferno." Bayonetta began to explain. "In order to be accepted as an official member of the Umbran Witch Clan, she must make a pact with a demon from Inferno and control him or her without being killed."

"And you succeeded?" Corrin asked thinking the answer would be simple when that was far from the case.

"I didn't deserve to succeed." Bayonetta murmured. "I was born with extraordinary power, so I could summon whatever demon I wanted. I ended up summoning one of the strongest and most feared demons in Inferno. Madama Butterfly knew I was not strong enough to keep her under my control and tried to kill me right there…if it weren't for the Fog Witch…I would not be here today…"

"O-Oh…"

"Ever since that incident, I held back from summoning Madama Butterfly. That has cost me so much. The fear of losing control mid-summon and having her rampage with no one to stop her…" Bayonetta shook her head at the "what if" scenarios. They didn't happen, so she shouldn't be scared of something that has yet to occur. However, she was just worried that the minute Madama Butterfly was summoned that the cruel mistress would destroy everything in her path.

"Right now, I do not need Madama Butterfly. I have survived eighteen years without the need to summon her. However, there will be a point where I will need to summon her and the other Inferno demons…and when that day comes…"

"I believe you can do it!" Corrin interrupted. "Eighteen years is a long time for you to get stronger."

"I wonder…"

Corrin tilted his head in confusion. It was odd seeing the Umbra Witch not too sure with herself. From the day he met her, she was brimming with confidence. Now, she didn't seem to believe that she could control her demons even now. Perhaps if Cloud told her this, she might be reassured, but Corrin could go on about how she was capable of great things.

He wouldn't be able to due to his body freezing up and the cave suddenly starting to spin. At the same time he let out a pained groan, the glyphs in the room shined brighter than before. Bayonetta rushed over to the dragon prince immediately seeing him in pain.

"…You fool…it's the poison…"

"No…it's not…" Corrin growled. "My body is reacting to the light…"

Sure enough, the symbol on his back started glowing. The Umbra Witch had no idea what was going on, but she knew that she needed to get Corrin away from the lights. It wouldn't be long until they were in Metallia's secret base. Quickly, Bayonetta lifted Corrin off the ground and carried him off with little protesting. Again, Bayonetta had to lament how ridiculously easy it was to get to the deepest part of the secret base. The glyphs recognized Bayonetta as a witch and cracked open the door that was hidden behind stone.

However, Bayonetta would be treated to a nasty surprise. There was nothing left in the room. Granted, she should have expected this since this was where she and her Umbran Sisters were captured, but they had rushed outside to fight instead of taking it inside this cramped space. This was still strange because it seemed like documents were either torn to bits or burned. She assumed that Belda was the one who did this seeing as how she snatched Metallia's journal. However, she would think the bed would be intact, but nothing was spared in Belda's rampage. All except one thing…

"What's this? How did that bitch not destroy this?"

In front of her was a green seed that was floating in the air. With the green seed was a black bracelet. Bayonetta swore that was the same one Metallia wore when she performed the summon, but there was no way to confirm it. Without too much, she went over and grabbed both items. They vanished the minute she came in contact with them. She wouldn't be able to check her magical inventory later due to prioritizing Corrin over what appeared to be the last items that belonged to Metallia.

"I smell fear."

Bayonetta blinked. Who said that? She looked down and realized it was Corrin. Her eyes widened in horror as she ended up dropping him. He let out a growl as he forced himself to stand up. The Umbra Witch noticed that the dragonstone he was carrying was glowing now. Horns appeared on his head and his tail threatened to pop up. He gave her an intimidating stare that sent shivers down her spine.

"…Corrin…what are you talking about?" She questioned. "Why are you activating your dragonstone? There is no one here."

"…You said you wanted the power to control Madama Butterfly." The Izumo prince spoke. Bayonetta noted how his tone was noticeably lower as he continued to give her a cold stare. "I can help you control the Mistress of Atrocity and extract revenge on the people who wronged you."

"…Who are you? You're not the naïve prince that was talking to me a few minutes ago…"

"…I am." Corrin answered darkly. "I guess you can thank the pact for allowing me to be so blunt."

What did Anankos do to his son? Bayonetta assumed it was simply the dragon side of Corrin taking over. She had heard stories that dragons struggled to maintain humanity. The less dragon blood you had, the easier it was to become more human-like. Corrin was a half-breed, so he would eventually have to deal with his dragon side. However, the pact seemed to have awoken something in Corrin and it wasn't a good thing.

"I will ask you again. Do you want to tame Madama Butterfly and extract revenge?"

"Of course. I'm always up for revenge."

Bayonetta was being honest. If she could control Madama Butterfly, she could get revenge on the people she hated. She could destroy foundations her enemies made and she would love every minute of it. She wondered if it was a good idea to admit it to this side of Corrin though. She could feel her shoulder burning due to the pact, but instead of the light feeling she had not too long ago, she felt like the pact was freezing her in place. She felt like prey ready to be eaten.

"Then let me demonstrate how the pact actually works."

How many times was Bayonetta going to be taken by surprise by Corrin? She was used to him being shy around her and making sure not to make her mad. This side of Corrin cared not for how she felt. She found herself being pushed down so her back was against the floor and Corrin could easily sit on top of her.

"That's not how you treat a lady…" She groaned as she tried to sit up.

"This is how Father wants the pact to turn out." The silver haired prince told her. She was far from pleased with how Corrin's attention was to where the pact symbol was. "The stronger the sexual prowess is, the stronger the magic boost is. Once I'm done with you, you'll be able to summon Madama Butterfly and get her under your control. Once you do that, then you are that much closer to obtaining revenge."

It made sense but…

Bayonetta shuffled uncomfortably underneath the dragon prince. She wouldn't mind his aggression if it weren't for the fact that her mind was starting to wander off again. Corrin's menacing red eyes were staring directly into her grey ones and she found it difficult to maintain eye contact with him.

"Funny how you're making more sense now but making me regret wanting a pact with you. I am not for you to look at. I made that clear with you Corrin."

Corrin raised an eyebrow as a response. His tail moved on its own as the tip of it trailed down her stomach and toward her crotch area. She flinched feeling the tail there.

"Oh, you made it clear alright. Don't worry. This will be quick."

She didn't want that though. Bayonetta attempted to snark back with him, but she was met with a surprise kiss. Corrin wasn't going to let her back away from this. He had every intention of exploring her mouth even though she was not returning the kiss and for good reasons…

* * *

 _Of all the times to have a flashback, it had to be after Corrin had leaned in and stole a kiss from her. The Umbra Witch was brought back during the middle of the torture session with Totopepe. He had no problem making her body feel weird. When she tried to scream for help, weird noises came out of her mouth instead. Totopepe had laughed as she fondled one her breasts from behind her. The young witch struggled to break free from the rope that bound her hands upward, but it was impossible. If she summoned Madama Butterfly, he would be in trouble, but her fear prevented her from doing something as simple as that. Totopepe hummed as his other hand lowered down to her groin area._

 _"Heh-heh, you're already wet." Totopepe had mocked as he continued to play with her. "You should tell me what you want."_

 _Bayonetta had pleaded for him to stop, but he said that wasn't what she wanted. Soon, he would stop playing with her breast just to pull her chin in his direction and force his tongue down her throat. She let out a pitiful cry as she bit down on his tongue. He didn't seem to care. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the pain and continued the assault. There was nothing she could do with his invading tongue exploring her mouth. Her body was still getting hot from the actions his other hand was doing to her._

 _"You like that?" He asked her as he broke the kiss apart. "You should. I'm a good kisser."_

 _"Y-You…"_

 _"Ahh…are you going to cry? I hope that wasn't your first kiss. Ha ha ha ha! That's a laugh coming from a slutty witch like you!"_

 _Bayonetta wanted to avoid another kiss, but seeing how disturbed she was the first time, he had no problem doing it again until she felt her body give up on her…_

* * *

Corrin didn't seem to notice that the Umbra Witch froze up. He was too focused on trying to activate the pact that he didn't notice how she was trembling in his arms.

"Corrin…that's enough…" She hissed as he pulled away from her.

"I thought you wanted power."

"I do but…"

"Then there's no problem."

Corrin would have continued had Bayonetta made it clear she was done. She slapped him across the cheek when he tried to kiss her again. Her expression darkened as she pushed him away.

"If a lady says no, she means no!"

The dragon prince was completely taken by surprise. His narrow eyes seemed to vanish at that moment. Now, he looked like a lost puppy.

"Bayonetta?"

"…I thought you were different from the rest of them, but you're just as disgusting…"

"W-Wait…what did I do?!"

"You know what you did!"

Corrin really didn't. For a moment, he had blacked out in the middle of his conversation with Bayonetta. Now, he found himself pinning the taller woman against the wall and using his dragon strength to hold her down. Bayonetta was still strong herself, so it wasn't really a surprise her slap could snap him out of whatever trance he was in. A crimson blush appeared on his cheeks as he immediately got off of her.

"I…I didn't…oh no…did I…do something bad?"

Bayonetta was far from pleased. Before she could say anything else, the two heard footsteps coming from outside. Corrin would have been happy that someone found them, but then remembered that the Hoshidan soldiers were still pursuing them. Things got from bad to worse though as it wasn't just soldiers from Hoshido that were chasing them. Nohrian soldiers decided to team up with the Hoshidan soldiers in order to retrieve Corrin.

"Oh no…" Corrin mumbled.

"Lord Corrin!" The Nohrian general shouted. "We have found you."

"Shoot…this is not good…" Corrin thought to himself as he stood up and stood in front of Bayonetta. "…Well I'm here…"

"We are so glad you are safe." The Nohrian general said sincerely. "We will take you back to Izumo now."

Corrin shook his head. He couldn't do that now…not until he found out who his mother's killer is.

"I'm sorry…I cannot return at the moment." Corrin told them. "Please leave."

The soldiers wanted answers, but they were warned by the Hoshidan soldiers that the Izumo Prince was currently entranced by the Umbra Witch. The Nohrian general looked behind the Izumo Prince to see Bayonetta against the wall. She still looked injured from the previous attack.

"…We cannot do that." The Nohrian soldier told him. "The kingdom needs you back."

"…Then put your weapons away. You're pointing them at my friend."

The soldiers refused to obey Corrin to his irritation.

"We cannot do that. We were ordered by Macbeth to take the witch back with us dead or alive."

Of course that bastard wants her. Corrin thought to himself. Bayonetta would be used as a hostage to get Cloud out of hiding…I can't allow that but…

Of all the times to feel exhausted, it had to be now. The prince found himself collapsing to his knees. He needed the Yatogami to even keep balance, but it worried the soldiers to an extent. Bayonetta called out to the Izumo prince, but Corrin could not respond to her. His vision was getting blurry. Did the poison actually affect him after all, or did activating the pact twice without being able to relieve himself cause him tire out?

"Take them both." The Nohrian general ordered as the soldiers wasted no time to approach them.

If there was a need to summon, it was now. Bayonetta still couldn't do it. The soldiers wouldn't give her the time anyway if she hesitated the way she was now.

There was one thing the soldiers forgot though. If a group of them were gathering somewhere, it usually attracted a lot of unwanted attention. They did not expect the entire cave to suddenly decrease in terms of temperature before some of the soldiers found themselves frozen. Corrin's eyes widened in horror recognizing who was freezing the soldiers and turning many of them into ice sculptures. While both Hoshido and Nohrian soldiers were screaming at the sorcery magic being cast on them, they would fail to react to either a blade coming down and impaling them in the head or chest, or a powerful fist crushing them to bits. The people who have come to rescue Corrin and Bayonetta made short work of the enemies that one would think they were assassins.

"Cloud! Flora!" Corrin shouted.

"…You two really like getting yourselves in trouble…" Was Cloud's nonchalant response as he put his buster sword away. "Also, Tifa is here with me."

The bartender was a trusted ally of Cloud for a reason. Corrin knew she was strong from her previous fight against the Nohrian soldiers that attacked AVALANCHE, but he didn't think her punches were strong enough to crush the soldiers that had been frozen solid. Tifa adjusted her gloves to get the ice shards off of them. Behind Tifa was Flora who was the cause of the sudden chill in the room.

Flora was far from impressed with Corrin running off with the Umbra Witch. She heard about the pact from Azura and what it insinuated, but she didn't think the pact would be the reason that Corrin ran off with Bayonetta.

"…I'm disappointed in you…" Flora groaned as she rushed over to her prince. "I never pegged you as the type to run off with an older woman."

"I-It's not like that!" Corrin yelled as his cheeks turned red. "I'm not like that!"

"Save it. I'm going to heal you first before anything else."

As the blue haired maid hurried with her healing, Tifa looked back toward the entrance of the cave with a scowl on her face. They were not safe. Soon, other soldiers would wonder where their comrades were and come inside to see that they had been killed. They needed to leave before the scenario happened.

"…We should head back before reinforcements come in." Tifa told them. She was the only one trying to keep a cool head. "Come on Cloud! We better tell Anankos the soldiers are nearby, now!"

Cloud still wanted to tease Bayonetta though. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him, but he still felt the need to mock her for almost getting captured again.

"Bayonetta, there's a time and place to be lazy, but now is not the time to play damsel again."

"Silence…" She hissed. "I am not in the mood."

"You looked to be in the mood to…" Cloud did indeed stop when he saw her stand up and follow after Tifa without saying a word. The blond had to remind himself that Bayonetta was not the type to cry, but she did have a nasty temper if someone set her off. Corrin already did that. He could tell with how she ignored Corrin's weakened state. He would need to ask what happened between the two when he took his eye off them.

As for Corrin, he allowed Flora to assist him. Cloud would go over and help him too, but the dragon prince wanted the blond to protect the girls instead of him. The soldiers wouldn't kill him. It was unfortunate that these soldiers had to die in order to escape, but there was nothing Corrin to do about it. He sighed as the mercenary allowed him to put his arm over one shoulder and Flora allowed him to put his other arm around her shoulder and take him out of the cave. One thing kept plaguing his mind though that would drive him up the wall.

 _What just happened to me just now? Why did my dragon side act up after all of this time? Is it because of the pact or…_

* * *

Cloud had to make sure that there were no soldiers around the area before taking the group back to Valla. The last thing he wanted was for the enemy to follow them and report back to their leaders. Cloud needed to take the two back to Anankos though when reporting what he saw outside of Valla. Anankos was not a happy dragon to learn that Hoshido soldiers were even near Valla in the first place. It meant that he would have to gear up the citizens of Valla and force them to protect their nation should Hoshido, Nohr, or Izumo invade. If Sumeragi and Garon found out that Corrin was staying here, then they had every right to take him back by force. Anankos really didn't want to resort to violence, but with how things were starting to shape up, that would not be the case. Valla needed to be protected if he wanted the entire continent to continue thriving. The kings would not realize until the last minute that they would be making a mistake if Anankos was slain thus leaving the continent without an Invisible Dragon to keep the Invisible Continent stable.

"Father, please tell me why my dragon instincts suddenly surged!" Corrin shouted. Anankos was more concerned with getting Kamui in the Dragon's Den so the two could brainstorm ways to defend Valla. "Never in my eighteen years has this ever happened to me! I only found out I had dragon blood in my veins not too long ago…why did those instincts suddenly…"

"It must have been an empathetic response." Anankos told him rather quickly. "You have a pact with Bayonetta. You responded to whatever she was feeling in that moment and acted on your instincts."

Corrin couldn't believe that. Bayonetta was visibly terrified of him and the dragon prince had no problem continuing despite her protests. That was far from an empathetic response…it felt more predatory unless…

"But there's no way I would suddenly feel that when I haven't been interested in the opposite gender for eighteen years…" Corrin mumbled darkly. "I'm not like that…"

"I doubt you are." Cloud told the young prince. "It might have been you getting used to your pact as well. It has not been that long."

"I know but…"

"Corrin, I would suggest you drop the subject." Bayonetta stated.

"B-But…"

"You just caught me by surprise. You won't be able to do that to me again without losing a tooth."

Corrin trembled at her threat. Despite it clearly being an accident on Corrin's end, Bayonetta was still angry with him. This was not how you spend the first few hours with someone you just made a pact with. The red eyed prince was now worried that Bayonetta thought of him as a perverted opportunist when that was far from the case.

"I-I'm really sorry Bayonetta…" Corrin mumbled. "I…I'll make it up to you."

"Not now…" The Umbra Witch started. "I exhausted myself today. I think I'll be heading back to the house."

Corrin wanted to say something else to her, but the Umbra Witch had already dismissed herself from the Dragon's Den. While Corrin thought that Bayonetta was angry with him, the Umbra Witch thought that Corrin was mad at her for her performance. After all of that buildup, Bayonetta came out short and looked like a third rate witch that was incapable of protecting herself against the Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers. She was stronger than this, but the fact Corrin had to assist and protect her was enough to hurt her pride more than anything. She needed to clear her mind before she could accept Corrin's apology. However, she was disappointed with herself most of all. This incident proved one thing: All of those years of training were for naught if she could not get over her past mistakes.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 13594 words.**

 **Li:…Well…Metallia…is clearly not a nice individual.**

 **Me: She's the villain protagonist in her own game, so it would make sense that she would be a terrible friend. The only reason Metallia is sympathetic is the people you fight are worse than her. Notes!**

 **1\. Metallia actually did this to Malia in canon. The only difference is that Malia survived and would eventually be turned back into her human form (and by eventually I mean near the end of the game as she spends the entire game unable to communicate with others. This is just karmic retribution on her end). In this AU, it's unwarranted in comparison because there isn't 100 years of child abuse that would build up Malia's karma.**

 **2\. The journal entry is intentionally edgy but Metallia is a very immature person. Metallia is not allowed to say a lot of things without getting in trouble so she writes it out in her journal (she doesn't do this in canon FYI but I could see it as a headcanon of her happy thoughts start degrading into hate and sorrow as she got older). Since Metallia already turned her mother into a rat and got her gang raped in actual canon, it wouldn't be out of character to have her wish sexual assault on someone else out of spite. Mind you, Metallia has no problems sexually harassing Visco on her first meeting nor did she have a problem of labeling Visco as her mutt at the beginning. Metallia also had no problem letting people die when they scream for help also at the beginning of the game. Metallia only changes as a person when the other witches knock her down a peg and when she starts seeing Visco as a friend/girlfriend instead of a servant. The irony is that despite Metallia having no problem harassing other women, when Totopepe does the exact same thing (he actually rapes a bunch of people, brags about it and then the thing he did to Visco), she is appalled. So yes, you're supposed to be disturbed by the context of the journal of what Metallia wants to happen to Bayonetta. However, because this is a hazy flashback, Bayonetta might be misinterpreting the text or forgetting certain details…although this is pretty damning evidence that Metallia wasn't the best friend that Bayonetta thought she was.**

 **3\. Something is that is also stated in game is that witches in the Witch and the 100 Knight universe are advised to not fall in love and have sex. Your powers aren't reduced but according to the Old Hag, she states that nothing good comes from losing your virginity to a man. In this universe, we see what happens when Baldr and Rosa fall in love…and then you have Belda who is driven by lust. Most of Metallia's punish invoke losing one's virginity and causing more problems for that witch. It's ironic given Bayonetta's character in canon (but she isn't a virgin anyway but you get the point).**

 **4\. All the items that Bayonetta is stated to have from Selene are Lana and Cia's items from Hyrule Warriors. Specific descriptions of items are said to be used by the Guardian of Time like the scepter, the tome and the Summoning Gate. The crystal ball is shown in the cute drawing flashback in the game, so it's not hard to assume that this was used to look into the past lives of Link and the Hyrule timeline in general. The reference that the crystal ball can look into the past is also in Fates where Azura has a crystal ball that sees Garon's true self.**

 **5\. Corrin learned a lot from Volga, Azura and Cloud in a short amount of time. I tried to keep him up to speed with his abilities as a Smasher but still being limited due to inexperience.**

 **6\. Bayonetta can use Witch Time. Don't worry, I didn't forget. She just hasn't found the need to use it. It could have saved her from being poisoned though, but of course, Bayonetta is rusty in combat and her weapons are the pistols used at the beginning of Bayonetta 2…which get broken mid-battle.**

 **7\. There will be a time and place to explain Corrin's dragon side, but prepare for this side to come out more when the pact is being activated. You can believe Anankos in thinking it was an empathetic response, that the dragon side came out because it smelled Bayonetta's fear when addressing the subject of summoning or the dragon side is responding to the urge to mate.**

 **8\. Flora is part of the Ice Tribe in Fates, so of course she can turn people into ice sculptures. Remember, she froze the ocean in Revelations.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated! Ja ne!**


	15. Don't You Trust Me?

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy! Also, there is porn in this chapter. If you want to read it, go to AO3.**

Chapter 15: Don't You Trust Me?

* * *

Everything became chaotic once it was apparent that the soldiers from Hoshido and Nohr were drawing closer to where Valla was. They still needed to find where exactly Valla was, and that would give Anankos time to round up what soldiers they had. He did not want to resort to underhanded tactics, but he would do whatever it took to protect Valla and the Invisible Continent from the ignorant humans.

With how everyone was moving around despite the sun not yet rising, Corrin would realize that Bayonetta wouldn't be able to sit down and fix the crystal ball. The poison had zapped a lot of her magic and she needed her rest. There was a way to restore her magic, but it required using the pact. Bayonetta had already rejected Corrin in the secret base and she wasn't going to accept his help now.

"Bayonetta, I really am sorry what happened back there. I really don't know what came over me…"

Bayonetta knew she shouldn't blame Corrin for his dragon instincts taking over. He went into the pact without knowing what to expect. The pact was supposed to support her and Cloud through sexual means, but she simply didn't want to put her trust in Corrin that resulted in her wanting desire to avoid him the minute they were done talking to Anankos. She needed to make that item for him and then hope he'll get off her back when he resolved everything on his own with the knowledge of who killed his mother. She knew she was being petty at this point if she wished for him to get off her back when he was worried for her. He did save her life, but she acted ungrateful because he kissed her…

"I already told you that I'm not in the mood. I need to rest before I work on your item…"

"But…"

"Please leave me alone."

Bayonetta didn't go into Kamui's house like she said she would. Things were loud in the house due to Kamui giving everyone inside of the house orders to prepare for the potential battle up ahead. Sitting at the lake didn't make anything better because people were around and running back and forth. She should have just turned into a crow and hid in the trees to avoid being approached.

"…Bayonetta…do you not trust me?" Corrin asked. His tone was very serious at this point.

The Umbra Witch glared at him as a response. "It has nothing to do with you!"

Corrin gave her an annoyed look at her answer. "Really? All you have been doing ever since we've returned is avoid me! I don't know what I can do to make it up to you, but you won't even talk to me! I know it's only been a few hours and I know you need to cool off, but you haven't done what you needed to do to get better! Why are you walking around Valla instead of taking a bath or going to sleep? You can't expect to get better if you're just going to keep yourself stuck in this mood!"

"Excuse me?!"

She did not like how assertive Corrin was being. The lack of sleep from both of them was probably making tension rise. Cloud was probably the only one who actually took a nap after returning to Valla. For some strange reason, the noise outside did not affect him too much. He left Kamui's house to see his two friends arguing and sighed.

"What are you two doing?" He asked rather annoyed. "You two should be resting."

Corrin couldn't sleep either. Compared to Bayonetta who was walking around aimlessly in Valla, he was asked to help the other soldiers get ready. This got his mind off of what happened earlier on this evening, but it cost him sleep. He promised himself that when he was done, he was going to shower and take a quick nap. However, Bayonetta was still his priority.

"Sorry…I was helping Volga out…"

"It didn't look like it."

"…Sorry…I should leave…"

Before Cloud could ask what the two were arguing about, Anankos finally decided to come out of the cave in his human form. If Kamui was around, she would tell him to go back inside where it was safe, but he was concerned for his son, so it made sense for him to leave.

"Is something the matter you three?" He asked in his soft voice. "Have you gotten any rest?"

"I did." Cloud told him. "I don't think these two have."

"…Sorry…I was helping everyone prepare…" Corrin murmured.

Anankos waited for Bayonetta to answer him, but she didn't respond. He could see that she was still upset with his son and decided to cheer her up.

"The pact is a three-way." Anankos stated. "If you're in need of sexual healing, you do not need to rely on my son. You have Cloud. The healing may not be as strong if it's not done with the dragon, but it should be enough to keep your body functioning."

Again, Bayonetta's expression became unreadable. Her lens seemed to cover her eyes when she stared at the Invisible Dragon in disbelief. Cloud was probably the only one who was visibly disturbed.

"W-What? Are you serious?!" He asked in a shaky voice.

"I am very serious."

"…And why are you telling me this?"

"You can see it, Cloud. Bayonetta, you're on the verge of collapse without any magic in your system. I don't know how you burned your magic so quickly, but you need to restore it now before you faint in the middle of a battle."

"I'm surprised that you care." Bayonetta mumbled as she looked over to Cloud before averting her eyes. "…Is there a place where Cloud and I can go to be alone?"

Cloud had to control himself. He did not hear Bayonetta just accept Anankos' idea to have sex with him. Nope, that's not the Umbra Witch he was used to speaking to. Corrin was far from pleased hearing this.

"Yes, there are vacant houses scattered throughout Valla. You can use any of them for your deed." Anankos answered. "You should make it quick though, so no one walks in when they're searching for you."

"Father…are you encouraging them to…"

"Yes. If Bayonetta is not comfortable with you, she has another option."

Corrin didn't realize how offended he was hearing that. Maybe it was for the best though. Cloud and Bayonetta were very close…more than they would like to admit. Still, he felt rather betrayed at the moment. If he was stuck in a pact between these two, he was going to be the third wheel…meaning his chances of finding anyone else were incredibly low.

"Corrin, where are you going?" Anankos asked as he noticed Corrin preparing to leave.

"…I'm going to clean myself off." Corrin told him. "I had been helping Volga all night and I need to get this awful stench off. Bayonetta, I know you haven't cleaned yourself off either. You should probably do so."

Bayonetta kind of waved him off when he said that. Cloud didn't notice any gross stench from her, but knowing the Umbra Witch, she might have sprayed something on her or used whatever magic she had left to not smell bad. Corrin dismissed himself from the group to go wash his body off and to get his mind off of his two older companions. When he was done, he would go look for his sister and complain to her.

* * *

There were plenty of vacant houses to go for the "business transaction." Cloud had seen one that was ways away from Kamui's house. If he wanted privacy, he would get it there. The door was unlocked so anyone was free to use it as long as they decided to clean up afterward. Cloud had this nagging feeling that the house would be cleaned up only if Joker was bored and had finished his chores ahead of time in the house that Kamui lived in.

Bayonetta would be able to concentrate in a house that had no one in it. She just needed her magic power back. If only she wasn't being stubborn with Corrin, she would have had it restored in a few minutes. Now, she needed to rely on Cloud, and that meant forcing herself into this awkward situation again.

Cloud had to say something to make things less tense, but he was very nervous. He had finished locking everything up and escorted the Umbra Witch upstairs to where the bed was. He gulped not knowing what to do. Bayonetta had teased him that he already had sex before, so he should know what to expect. However, things were different now between him and Bayonetta. Cloud had become close friends with her, but the idea of anything sexual happening afterward turned his brain to mush. These growing feelings were just too much for him.

"You know this is nothing but a business transaction." Bayonetta reminded him as she slowly used her magic to remove her clothes. "You wouldn't be allowed to touch me if I didn't tire myself out helping the little prince."

"Don't I know it?" Cloud answered with a grumble. "It was payment the last time we had sex two years ago. Nothing has really changed."

"No…it hasn't."

"If you know it hasn't, then stop giving me that look. Save it for Tifa…"

Cloud blinked. What look was he giving the older woman?

"…You always mention Tifa when the subject is about us." Cloud groaned. "It's always Tifa this, Tifa that, but then we do something together that makes it seem like we're together…you're so confusing."

Gray eyes glared at him as a response to that. "You always have to bring up that disguise we did at the banquet. How else were you going to get in?"

"You clung to me like we were dating…that was unnecessary…we are nothing but business partners."

The two really needed to stop using the term "business" at this point. Bayonetta was already naked and Cloud had already pushed her on top of the bed. If they really were just partners in crime, Bayonetta would not be giving Cloud this wanting look.

"…You're going to need to strip too, hunk."

 _And here we go with your flirting._ Cloud thought to himself. "I was getting to that…"

"Anankos said that we can do whatever we want to each other for that little power boost." She hummed. "However, I should warn you that I have become more difficult to please with age."

"…I'm sure…" Cloud snarked as he started to remove his clothes. He was used to stripping in front of the Umbra Witch, but he was moving notoriously slower than normal. He tried to hide his blush but he knew it was useless at this point. "I'm still going to make this quick."

"Please do so to save us both the embarrassment."

* * *

The last thing Corrin wanted to hear was his twin sister mocking him about being rejected by Bayonetta. She was trying to make the situation more light-hearted but it only caused Corrin to become moodier.

"Oh come on, I was just joking! Lighten up!"

"Excuse me for not thinking it's amusing to upset a friend."

"Friend? You two are literally a couple now with the pact you made."

Corrin shook his head at the thought. "No way! We can't be a couple. We haven't even known each other for long…besides…Bayonetta likes Cloud…"

Kamui didn't seem to care that Corrin had doubts. "Corrin, this pact is encouraging polygamy. You can indulge in it and if anyone asks…just tell them it is an Invisible Dragon custom."

The silver haired prince blinked before blushing at the word used. "P-P-Polygamy…"

"Yeah, I mean. Look at me! I have Volga and Azura! The hottest dragon knight and the most beautiful dancer around! We're a unique trio, but we make it work. I know you can make it work with Cloud and Bayonetta."

Corrin did think it was possible in the back of his mind, but at the moment, he couldn't see it. As of now, he simply owed them for saving his life. They were taking care of him and helping him out until he found out the truth about his mother's murder…then he wouldn't really need the pact anymore. Anankos made it seem like they would be bounded together for a long time, but Corrin felt he would find out the truth about his mother very soon. As soon as Bayonetta finished making that item, then he was all set to expose Macbeth.

"…So Corrin…are you ready for battle?" Kamui asked effectively changing the subject.

"Huh?"

"Hoshido and Nohr are coming here soon, and they will do all they can to take us both back."

"…Both?"

"Yes…both of us. I don't think the higher ups are dumb. They will realize I'm the lost princess of Izumo and will bring me back to Izumo. I'd rather fight until the bitter end defending Father and Valla than go back…"

Corrin could see that Kamui was worried, but she continued to act confident in front of her twin. Ever since she started interacting with her twin brother, she felt this surge of overprotectiveness overcome her and she just couldn't help but try and act cool…even though that resulted in her being rather mean to him when she and Cloud decided to save Bayonetta without him.

"I still need to find out the truth about the murder." Corrin reminded his sister. "If I can find and nail the killer, I can get Cloud off the hook…and possibly expose Macbeth."

"And you went with Bayonetta to do that?"

"She said she needed to fix an item that belonged to her friend. The item would allow her to look into the last moments of Mother's life and see who killed her."

Kamui's expression dimmed. "…Do you think that is possible?"

"What?"

"I don't doubt a witch's ability to look into the past, but do you think she'll have time to do that? I just said the Hoshido and Nohr soldiers are coming soon and she looked too exhausted to do anything."

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise. "W-Wait…"

"…I think she might have wasted your time to be honest. Unless she can fix that item before sunrise, there is no way you'll get it in time."

Time did go by rather fast and it was Corrin's fault for not paying attention to the time. He made the pact earlier on in the day and then later left to the swamp region with Bayonetta in the evening. The silver haired prince had been up for most of the day and would need to sleep eventually. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening if there was going to be an invasion soon.

"I…didn't think of that…" Corrin admitted. "But I trust Bayonetta will be able to fix the item before anything bad happens. She's with Cloud…so they should be able to get the pact working without me…"

There was a tightness in his voice when he said that. Kamui noticed and chuckled. She suspected that Corrin hadn't experienced what it's like to develop a crush on someone and even if he did, he had yet to act on said crush. It would be amusing to see how their relationship played out in the future.

"You shouldn't worry about them. I suggest-" Kamui stopped speaking when she noticed someone was approach them. She smirked seeing that some people just couldn't sleep.

"Flora, what are you doing still up? Shouldn't you be checking up on your sister?" She asked with a cat smile on her face.

"I couldn't sleep. There was a lot of noise outside." She explained as she looked over to the Valla soldiers that were being assembled. "And I heard about the time limit you have Prince Corrin."

"…I really am on a time limit…"

"…Like Princess Kamui said, there will be a war…" Flora mumbled. "You're aware that Macbeth is exploiting the situation. Because we were saved…they know that Valla exists…and since the soldiers are already nearby, you know that the truth about Queen Mikoto will disappear…"

"Yeah of course…"

"Forgive me for being so blunt, but you do not have time for the Umbra Witch to be making the item."

Corrin had faith in Bayonetta, but Kamui and Flora clearly didn't. Flora's input on a situation was always important though seeing as how she has always been the one by his side for most of his life.

"…What do you suggest I do then, Flora?" Corrin asked.

"I think you should speak to Duke Izana now before it's too late." Flora suggested. "By now, he must have evidence on who murdered Her Majesty."

The Izumo prince almost forgot that Izana was leading the investigation. He didn't even get time to ask him due to Macbeth. If Corrin could get to the Duke of Izumo, he could explain the situation and clear things up. Perhaps, he could even prevent Hoshido and Nohr from invading Valla too if he explained that it was a big misunderstanding.

"…I like that idea." Corrin told her. "The question is how I would be able to sneak into the pagoda without getting caught…"

Flora looked over to Kamui whose face grew an arrogant smirk.

"Oh, you want me to help him out?" Kamui asked. "I mean, I could do that. I assume Corrin knows his way around the pagoda."

"…I do…to an extent." The dragon prince admitted. "I might mess up, but I hope you'll be able to pick up the slack for me…"

"You're expecting me to sneak you to the duke without my bodyguards?"

"Well…yes…since more people means we'll be caught…but…I like the idea that maybe if I can talk to Izana, he can talk some sense into King Sumeragi and King Garon about the situation…I want to believe that I can stop things from getting worse…"

"And I think you can." Kamui hummed. "Both of the families dote on you very much. I don't think it's naïve to assume that this invasion can be stopped. If the invasion is stopped, then no one will lose their lives over nothing."

Kamui knew that there was a way to get to Izumo without getting caught. It required using another portal again. Bayonetta thought she was being clever with putting several hidden portals throughout Valla and then expecting to leave when she was done healing up. Kamui had Volga inspect every area and to figure out where the portals went. He was able to detect that they all went to different locations on the continent. There happened to be a convenient one placed in the treasure room of the pagoda. It would be easy from there to sneak into Izana's "office".

"I assume you have a plan Princess Kamui?" The blue haired maid asked with a small smile on her face.

"Yes I do. If all things go well, we should only be gone for a few hours." Kamui purred. "I hope Volga doesn't mind looking after Azura for me while I'm gone. The last thing I would want is to return and see my home burned down to the ground."

"…That sounds cryptic." Corrin murmured.

"Maybe it is, but you know how things are. You say you won't be gone for long and then something bad happens while you're gone. I trust Volga and Azura to look after my dad. Cloud and Bayonetta are going to be here too, so I don't see any soldiers coming in here and causing too much damage."

Flora needed to replay what Kamui said before realizing something that only made her scowl. "…You want me to come along with you two?"

"Well, I think my brother would do better if he brought the Yatogami and dragonstone with him instead of focusing on healing. That's what you would be here for in case things get out of hand. I know Felicia patched you up well enough to where you can assist us. I hope I'm not asking too much from you."

"…No…you're not…" Flora muttered. "I just…"

"Hmm?"

"…No…it's nothing. I need to make it up to Prince Corrin for getting captured in the first place. I won't let the prince and princess of Izumo down."

Corrin wasn't so sure that the blue haired maid should come along. If what Kamui said was true, then he shouldn't need to worry about an attack at the pagoda. The dragon princess was trying to be cautious though. Corrin would just need to obey her and get this done quickly.

"So how are we going to get out of Valla without anyone asking where we're going?"

"There's a portal near the weapon shop that will take us to the treasure room in Izumo." Kamui explained. "From there, we'll talk to Duke Izana and then return if he advises it."

Corrin nodded his head in agreement. While the twins felt that things would turn out okay, Flora had a feeling that things would get out of hand. As a result, she did leave a note at Kamui's house where the silver haired prince and princess were going to be. She added a small apology at the bottom of said note that would eventually be found by Azura…

* * *

Back in Izumo, a certain evil tactician was watched everything from the item being used to spy on the Izumo prince and princess. He couldn't contain his laughter as he saw that his targets were going to fall into his trap. Soon, everyone he wanted would be gathered back in Izumo and he would use this opportunity to capture them all. There would be no escape for Corrin, and this time, Macbeth would capture his twin sister too.

"At long last, Izumo will be mine for the taking." Macbeth hummed as he licked his lips. "And I'll have Rapunzel with me soon enough."

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. At first, Macbeth wanted to chase the person away, but he knew it was someone important. He called for the person to come in.

"Yes, what is it? Have you found the seers from the outer continent?"

"Unfortunately, no. They're a hard bunch to catch…although I did send assassins to deal with the boy at the harbor. I wait for them to bring back his head as proof that there is no hope for these outsiders from ever returning home."

"Hmm…I see. They need to be found and put to death immediately." Macbeth told the person behind him. "They can see the future, and that is why they are dodging every trap thrown at them…"

"We could possibly use the prince's captivity and marriage to lure them out in the open, but if you ask me, I think they're ready to retreat because they know war is starting soon and they want out."

"Oh?" Macbeth turned around. "I assume that the war ends in our favor."

"Yes…first you get rid of Anankos and Valla…and then you turn on Hoshido."

The evil tactician liked this prediction. "And what about the marriage?"

"Due to the chaos, there most likely won't be an audience to witness it. However, I can arrange it easily. You do not need to worry about Prince Corrin. He will be wedded to you very soon."

Macbeth shivered in anticipation. He could not wait for this. "Excellent…"

As the person finished speaking with Macbeth, someone was spying on them again. Unlike Crimson, this person did a better job at hiding themselves and made sure to run away immediately before the person noticed that they were being watched. Once the spy was far away on the first floor of the pagoda, they jumped into the nearby bush and waited for the guards to walk away.

"This is really bad…I need to tell Master Shulk what's going on…we've been betrayed…"

* * *

Bayonetta let out a sigh of relief as she's finally repaired the crystal ball that Corrin wanted. If it weren't for Cloud stepping in, she probably wouldn't have the strength to do it as quickly.

"…I don't think this is a crystal ball…" Bayonetta murmured to herself as she stared hard at what she crafted. "This looks more like a Moon Pearl than anything else…"

"Is there a difference?"

Bayonetta flinched at Cloud's presence. Granted, she knew he was still in the house. He had left to clean himself off. This house was closer to the waterfall, so it would be easy to use the back door, wash off and then return. Cloud was still rather indecent with how he didn't tie the towel around him that well.

"I doubt it. My friend had a crystal ball because she believed she could project images better. This pearl will probably have a blurry image, but it should still have the same effect." The Umbra Witch explained. "…I wasn't really paying attention to how to concoct effectively…I usually let Selene and Metallia focus on that sort of thing."

"…You sound like a slacker back in the day."

"Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn't. I was still the fairest of them all. I didn't need to worry about things like that."

Cloud snorted at the comment before going over to the bed to get his clothes.

"…I appreciate the help, Cloud." Bayonetta suddenly said as Cloud put back on his shirt.

"Hey, at least this time it wasn't so awkward. Both of us didn't screw up the sex." Cloud responded in a joking manner. He did this hoping that the awkward tension between the two would die down. That ended up making it worse though seeing as how Bayonetta seemed to fumble what she said next before ignoring him.

The mercenary sighed as he finished putting his clothes on. He tried his best to avoid glancing at Bayonetta's back. She was still partially naked. The Umbra Witch wanted to get this crafting done before she decided to wash herself off. It was good that she was thinking of Corrin at a time like this, but at the same time, it was making things harder for Cloud. The blond started to realize that it was becoming increasingly difficult to not see Bayonetta anything more than a business partner. For two years, he felt like that was all they would ever be. He had Tifa as his love interest and once they had the money they needed, they would leave the Invisible Continent and return home with their friends. Cloud might have been able to do it faster too with Bayonetta as his partner. She had all of this money stashed and all he would need to do is make some sort of pact with her to be able to take the money and run. Cloud did not do that though. It might have been his ego talking when he refused to take someone else's money. However, Cloud was starting to think that maybe he just enjoyed her company and didn't mind wasting time if it meant spending time with the Umbra Witch.

How could Cloud think that though? Yes, she saved his life when he and the soldiers from his continent invaded the Invisible Continent. He had already returned the favor though immediately afterward so he wasn't bound to her in a bit. Then again…he was entranced by Bayonetta…not only because she was beautiful, but because he felt sorry for her. She didn't talk much at all. She came off as an isolationist. Bayonetta had joked about how Cloud was the first person she had ever decided to help. Now, Cloud was starting to think that was becoming the case.

"Cloud…" Bayonetta began in a shaky voice. "Remember what I said two years ago?"

"There were a lot of things you told me two years ago. I didn't take it seriously given how I could never tell if you were telling the truth or not." Cloud answered honestly.

"…I was serious when I said I didn't talk to anyone until you came along." The Umbra Witch admitted. "I mean…I did if someone lost their way in the woods or if I needed something in any of the kingdoms, but I didn't bother to forge any sort of relationship with anyone."

"…You don't have to tell me." Cloud told her. "If it's painful to talk about, I won't push you."

"…That was why I didn't want to deal with anyone. If you became a casualty like my Umbran Sisters…then I would…"

Bayonetta stopped herself from talking. This was unlike her. She needed to get up and start getting ready. She couldn't keep Corrin waiting after that stupid detour they took. She slowly started to stand up, but she didn't move from her spot. Cloud noticed the sorrowful look Bayonetta had plastered on her face. He hated it so much. He was used to her being smug to him. He didn't want to see Bayonetta have a melancholy expression. He sighed as he walked over to her and surprised with her a sudden embrace. It would be awkward given she was taller than him, but it was the thought that counted.

"Why would you ever think I would ever be a casualty?" Cloud asked her softly. "I've survived this long. I wouldn't just drop dead just because you decided to become my friend. I'm stronger than that."

Cloud had to use the term friend. It was the only way to stop himself from thinking anything else. He wasn't convincing himself though that they were friends. Having sex twice in the two years they've known each other must mean something after all.

"Friend…"

They were just friends. They been by each other's side through dark times. They helped each other out in time of need. They even had sex. That was why Bayonetta had pushed Cloud back onto the bed with her on top of him. She gave the mercenary a longing look as a response to him calling her a friend.

"…Are we…really?"

Cloud tried his best to hide his blush at her question. The last thing he wanted was to get turned on by her when they already finished their business transaction. He gulped at her proximity.

"Are we not? We've done everything that would be considered friends…"

"…Then why do I feel like we're not friends?"

Cloud's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened when Bayonetta carefully placed her arms on his shoulders in order to support herself. She observed him and waited for Cloud to do something. The Umbra Witch was rather surprised when Cloud had moved his hand behind her back and moved her closer to him.

"…Maybe it's because we…"

Cloud never got to finish his sentence when someone was banging on the door loudly. Whatever world the two were in, they were forced to leave it. Bayonetta gasped as she got off Cloud immediately. She shook her head in annoyance realizing she probably had no time to wash herself off after all.

"Cloud, Bayonetta, there is a problem!" Azura could be heard shouting on the other side of the door. "Corrin and Kamui are gone!"

Cloud was hoping that Azura was joking, but from the short time he has known her, Azura was a very serious person. He snarled when he rushed down to open the door. Bayonetta would join him after fixing her outfit. She shivered at the thought she would have to prepare for battle like this, but it could be worse. She just hoped that nothing would come of not bathing immediately.

"I hope you're joking." Cloud said as he opened the door. Now he was able to examine Azura's face. She was out of breath as sweat dripped down her forehead as if she just finished running around the entirety of Valla. "…You're not…are you?"

"No…and they chose the worse possible moment to disappear. I think Hoshido and Nohr finally found us. They're approaching with a huge army…and I don't think we're ready for it…"

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 6169 words.**

 **Li: Sometimes I wonder if Corrin is smart or not…**

 **Me: He's impatient. I can tell you that. If he just waited, he wouldn't have needed to leave. Notes!**

 **1\. I still don't think I'll be writing Cloud and Bayonetta's meeting in this story. A lot has transpired in the second war, but I felt like the focus of the first war through Bayonetta's flashbacks is more important than what happened between Cloud and Bayonetta.**

 **2\. If anyone was wondering what Bayonetta was doing instead of sleeping, it was overworking herself with putting portals all throughout Valla that lead to different parts of the continent. She likes to think ahead and be sneaky with her attacks, but at the same time, she set up escape routes in case things went to hell. She was going to reveal it later, but you can see the chaos that has occurred in such a short amount of time.**

 **Starting from chapter 12, you have Cloud and Tifa waking up early in the morning to talk. Chapter 13 has Corrin and Cloud training until afternoon and the pact is made in the afternoon. Chapter 14 has Corrin and Bayonetta spending their evening going to the swamp region, getting attacked and finding Metallia's old secret base. This chapter is from midnight to not quite dawn, so Corrin and Kamui will arrive at the pagoda next chapter while it's still dark out. This is important because it happens all in one day for the most part.**

 **3\. The Moon Pearl is an item in Bayonetta that permanently increases Bayonetta's magic gauge. I wanted to make a reference to her game and show that Bayonetta is capable of crafting things together as well as concocting items.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. FYI, the next chapter will finally reveal the truth of Mikoto's death and who the real villain is. I hope you've been paying attention. Ja ne!**


	16. What She Wrote

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 16: What She Wrote

* * *

It did not take long for Cloud and Bayonetta to catch up to Corrin, Kamui and Flora _at all_. One would think they were on a time limit to find the trio, but the situation wasn't as dire as Azura made it out to be. Apparently, Corrin and Kamui were bad with directions and they didn't reach their destination despite the head start. Bayonetta noticed something was off the minute she and Cloud left the treasure room. There were no guards stationed in the pagoda at all. Unless the soldiers were being gathered in one location to prepare for the invasion of Valla, there was no reason for there to not be any guards.

 _This might be a trap…_ Bayonetta thought to herself. _I should prepare an escape route before things get worse.  
_

The Umbra Witch wondered if Cloud noticed the lack of soldiers. Because there weren't any guards, the dragon twins and Flora were not caught despite getting lost in the pagoda.

"You said you knew where Izana's office was!" Kamui shouted. "Why are we back at the treasure room?!"

"I thought it was go up two floors and take a right! You should have told me we were going back here."

"…You did a U-turn…" Flora muttered darkly to herself. "It's a miracle we haven't been caught…"

"That's because there isn't anyone here."

The trio jumped hearing the new voice. Corrin chuckled nervously realizing that his bodyguards finally caught up with him. They were far from pleased.

"Why did you run off?" Cloud asked the dragon prince as he crossed his arms. "What Bayonetta and I were doing wasn't going to take too long."

"Oh really? I wouldn't know."

Corrin let out a surprised yelp when he felt a fist lightly collide with his cheek. If the situation was worse, Cloud would have knocked the dragon prince to the ground…but at the moment, Cloud knew he could give Corrin a warning and the dragon prince would understand not to do this again.

"…Don't run off like that again, or the next punch will hurt."

Corrin rolled his eyes as a response. A small smirk escaped his lips though at Cloud's "threat".

If Bayonetta was listening to Cloud's retort, she might have punched him harder that he punched Corrin. She didn't want her sex life out in the open.

"…Is something the matter?" Flora had asked her.

Bayonetta blinked before looking over to the blue haired maid.

"…Nothing…there's nothing wrong."

Flora wasn't convinced. Bayonetta didn't want to bring up how the portal in the treasure room felt off. She did place multiple portals around the Invisible Continent to easily move from place to place. She had no use for the portal in the treasure room though as she had no reason to be inside the pagoda. The probability of walking into a trap was higher than anticipated. They should be fine if they could drag the trio back to Valla…

"Are you sure?" Flora asked with a hint of worry in her tone.

"Yes…Corrin…" Bayonetta began. She noticed he flinched at her tone. He was still wondering if she was mad at him (and she was). "I finished the item you needed, so there's no need for us to be here."

Corrin's eyes widened before he let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. If this plan fails, I have something else to fall back on…"

"…What."

Cloud glared at Corrin realizing he wasn't going to leave the pagoda despite the signs that they might have fallen into a trap.

"I'm glad that the item was finished in a timely manner," Corrin began speaking as he gave a glance to Kamui who rolled her eyes at her previous comment concerning Bayonetta, "but I'm not only here to uncover the truth of my mother's murder. I need to speak to Izana and clear up the misunderstanding that may have started because of Macbeth. I want to clear Cloud's name as being the main suspect and explain to Izana what really happened and why I refused to return to Izumo. Izana is goofy…but he's a very understanding person."

"So he was…" Bayonetta murmured. "He was always the one talking about late night parties with the Gods…"

"…That is very strange." Kamui muttered. "I wonder how Mother could have befriended someone like that."

"Mother has the same strange sense of humor." The dragon prince admitted. "He's been her friend before I was born. I know he'll listen to me about the matter. I just need to find him."

"But what if you don't find him?" Cloud asked. "Then what's your plan B?"

"…We'll return to Valla and think of another plan to calm everyone down." Corrin answered. "Izana is a very influential figure. If I can get to him first and have him convince Hoshido and Nohr to lay down their weapons…I think Valla will be safe."

It was such an optimistic way of thinking, but like her brother, Kamui wanted to believe it was possible to solve the conflict without violence. Macbeth was the evil one and was the only one that needed to be punished (and those that worked under him of course). She had no problem slaying those from Hoshido and Nohr, but she also didn't want the people from Valla to die because of the refusal to negotiate when given the opportunity.

Cloud and Bayonetta exchanged worried glances. Corrin was determined to speak to Izana and stop the invasion in Valla. They really had no say in the matter.

"…As long as it doesn't take long." Cloud warned him. "The lack of soldiers here is already a bad sign that something is up. We need to hurry."

"…If he doesn't tell you the truth, I have no problem exposing him." Bayonetta muffled as she put the item away into her hair. Besides Cloud, the group was surprised that the Umbra Witch was capable of using her hair as a storage system. "Since you don't know where his office is, I should lead you there."

"…You know the layout of the pagoda?" Cloud questioned her.

"Cloud, must you forget I knew where to find the treasure room. His office is one of the easier locations to find."

Corrin decided to trust Bayonetta and let her lead the way. Bayonetta surprised everyone again by morphing into a Panther. Before she transformed, she warned them they needed to keep up with her. She scurried off thus forcing the group to pursue her.

* * *

Since Bayonetta arrived at Izana's office first, she was able to inspect the room before everyone else arrived for traps. She growled at the strange lack of security around here too. Izana was a slacker and he left the security to Christo, but even he wasn't around. The only smell that Bayonetta whiffed was the smell of a burning incinerator. The raven haired witch haired hated the smell of a fire for obvious reasons. She turned back into a human to inspect the room further.

… _What is being burned here?_ She asked herself as she observed the incinerator. It was amazing that one could be in this room without burning the place down. Izana's magic probably had something to do with that. _Paper? Perhaps a note…or important documents…_

"Wow…Izana is really a careless person…" Corrin snarked as he entered the room next. "There's no magic barrier to lock his door, he leaves his important papers out in the open and he keeps the incinerator on. The pagoda could be on fire and everyone would assume it's an attack…when it's just Izana being negligent…"

Flora shivered at the smell of fire. It made sense why she was worried. She was an ice warrior, so she didn't like being near fire in the same vein as Bayonetta. Kamui and Cloud had the intention of staying watch, but Corrin wanted them inside so any conversation that occurred inside would be in their hearing range. Kamui would have insisted her hearing was top notch, but she realized he wanted her attention.

"Is there anything of importance in here?" Kamui asked. "I don't want to shuffle through this messy room."

Corrin had no problem getting his hands dirty unlike the dragon princess. Flora assisted her prince while everyone else continued to look around the messy room. The ugly sensation Bayonetta felt was getting worse the longer they stayed in here.

"Prince Corrin, I found something!"

Izana's desk was a pigsty, but Flora seemed to know what she was looking for when she pushed a majority of the papers off. The papers went flying in all direction, but the one thing she found stood out due to the shiny paper it used. Bayonetta turned around to have a look herself and gasped.

"…So the duke gets stationery from Paradiso?" Bayonetta asked out loud. "How strange of him…"

"Is it really strange?" Corrin responded with another question. "He's a prophet like Shulk and Tiki. We don't take him as seriously mainly because he says a lot of mumbo jumbo and most things he says don't come true…"

"He sounds like a fraud." Cloud stated bluntly.

"He's not. When an actual crisis happens, he is able to communicate with the Gods. Two years ago…I recall how people turned to him for advice."

Cloud leered at Corrin causing the younger male to flinch. Cloud did not want to be reminded of the war two years ago. Of course Izana would be involved in that…

"Prince Corrin, you should look at the content of this letter." Flora told her prince. "It seems to be a suicide note…or a confession. Take it how you see it."

"…Suicide note? From who?" Corrin asked. He didn't realize how he nearly choked those words. Slowly, he approached the ice maid and received the note from her. He nearly dropped the note after glimpsing at it for a few seconds. "N-No way…this is Mother's writing!"

Now that got everyone's attention. Kamui had rushed over to Corrin's side to see for herself. While she didn't know Mikoto well, she wanted to see the wonderful handwriting that Mikoto had. Bayonetta looked at the note and frowned.

"It seems to be a copy of whatever the queen wrote." Bayonetta told the prince. "This could be a fake…but stationary from Paradiso means that the writer cannot tell lies."

"No way…" Corrin said in almost a whisper. "Mother…"

"…Read it, Corrin, and determine for yourself if it's real or not." The Umbra Witch ordered. "This should be interesting."

If this was written by Mikoto, then Corrin might have hit the jackpot. Why was Izana hiding something so important from the red eyed prince? Unless he found it in the aftermath of her death and did not have the time to give it to him, there was zero reason for Corrin to not know the truth. The group started to gather around Corrin as he cleared his breath. He didn't want to read it out loud, but he knew he must.

" _To anyone who reads this, by the time you get this message, I will have already passed on in this world. The original copy might have already been destroyed to hide the truth, but as the Queen of Izumo…I can only forecast my inevitable death…as the only one who can end my life…is myself…"_

Mikoto's final message was surprisingly detailed despite it being written before her death. Corrin could only imagine that there was someone assisting her with writing it and seeing how there were so many seers who could see the future, it wouldn't be a farfetched idea.

It wasn't a well-known detail, but Corrin was aware that his mother had powers similar to what Izana, Tiki and Shulk displayed. He expected he inherited the same dream visions as her seeing as how he would have nightmares concerning things that might occur in the future. This would explain to Corrin why Mikoto had been sickly for the past month and why she wasn't getting enough sleep. His medicine wouldn't be able to fix the issue and he was certain she didn't console in anyone about what she dreamt about.

In her message, she described the identity of the heavenly being. It did not seem to fit the description of Pit, but there was a witness to the events. The heavenly being could not prevent her demise. Even if her death could be prevented at that very moment, it would put others at risk. The last thing she wanted was for her son to be put in harm's way because of her foolishness.

The note went into details on the night of the banquet. Mikoto explained what she did after she arrived at the pagoda.

" _I wanted time alone before I was to make my final decision. I wanted to speak to Izana about what he thought before I finally decided. I know Izana wanted to get the booze from one of the rooms and bring it to the banquet before meeting up with me, so I waited in my room. He was taking his time that I was starting to grow wary. When I heard a knock, I thought it was him, but was surprised to see it was Sumeragi."_

* * *

 _"Sumeragi…"_

 _The King of Hoshido had decided to let himself into Mikoto's room._

 _"Excuse me for the intrusion."_

 _Mikoto remained silent as Sumeragi closed the door behind him. He failed to realize there might have been someone eavesdropping on them, but his full attention was to the beautiful queen in front of him._

 _"Were you expecting someone else?"_

 _"Yes…I was expecting either Izana or my son to come in here." Mikoto answered honestly._

 _"Ouch." Sumeragi said with an awkward laugh. "Well, I won't be here too long."_

 _"…Please do not try to sway my decision." The Queen of Izumo told him harshly. "I know that is why you're here to see me before I make my choice…"_

 _Sumeragi didn't look pleased with Mikoto's accusation. She noticed that the king was hiding something behind his back. Seeing as how Mikoto accused him of trying to pull a fast one on Garon, Sumeragi decided to pull out his trump card early._

 _"This is for you." Sumeragi started as he handed her a shiny katana. Mikoto's eyes widened before frowning. "I was going to give this to your son, but I know how you are about that kid holding anything that isn't a staff…so I'm giving you this instead. Use it how you see fit."_

 _"How thoughtful…" Mikoto mumbled. She tried to stop her heart from pounding when she accepted the gift. "…Thank you."_

 _Sumeragi should have left at that point. He would get caught sooner or later, and then things would go to hell for everyone. Mikoto surprisingly didn't want him to leave after accusing him of trying to get the upper hand._

 _"Sumeragi…" Mikoto began. "…Can you…hear me out for a few minutes."_

 _"Of course." Sumeragi answered almost immediately. "What is it about? Is it…about your decision?"_

 _Mikoto nodded her head slowly. "Yes…you and Garon both know I cannot choose between the two of you."_

 _"I know."_

 _"Eighteen years of wanting to marry me and all I do is lead you two on…"_

 _"Eighteen years is an exaggeration." Sumeragi admitted. "We still had our wives back then when you came into the picture. You helped fill the void in our hearts when they passed away."_

 _Mikoto frowned at the mention of the other important women in Sumeragi and Garon's life. Originally, she wanted nothing to do with them because of her firm dedication to Anankos. She did not want to be dragged into any family drama…even if Sumeragi was a strict, but loving father to his children._

 _"…And that is why I cannot choose between you and Garon." Mikoto clarified. "I…cannot stop loving Anankos…even if he's gone…my heart has yet to move on. I had eighteen years to forget him, but I simply cannot let him go." Mikoto wanted to cry thinking about the timid dragon that she nursed back to health and fell in love with in her youth. Anankos meant so much to her despite his position as an Invisible Dragon. Despite promising he would return to her with Kamui, he never fulfilled his promise. The banquet was a reminder that life went on and he simply was a relic of the past._

 _Sumeragi's expression darkened when Anankos was mentioned. No matter what he and Garon did, they would always be second best to her first husband. That was the reality of the situation. Mikoto could fill the gap in their heart, but they couldn't do the same thing for her. It angered him to no end that a dragon was able to hold onto such a magnificent beauty for so long and not return to her. If Anankos was dead, then he would want her to forget him and move on in her life. However, there was no way of knowing if the Invisible Dragon was alive or not. The last remnant of him was his son Corrin. Corrin showed as much resistance to change as his mother. He displayed an obvious distaste for his father that he could not recall to memory, and he certainly did not want another male figure in the house to take time away from his mother. Mikoto had spoiled him to such an extent and now both had to wake to the reality that they needed to move on not only for themselves, but for their kingdom as well._

 _"…I understand. Your happiness is very important…and as a result…I am willing to stand down if you decide to pick Garon."_

 _Mikoto gasped at his words. "B-But, Sumeragi…"_

 _"I know better than anyone how you feel about your husband…but I kept forcing the idea of the two of us being a happy family. It sounded perfect in my head. You and I would rule Hoshido and Izumo. Corrin would have Ryoma and Hinoka as his older siblings and Takumi and Sakura as his younger siblings. However, the same could be said with you and Garon. You and he could be ruling Nohr and Izumo. Corrin would have Marx and Camilla as his older siblings and Leon and Elise as his younger siblings. These are the two choices we gave you, and we refused to accept a third option. While I am willing for a third…controversial choice…I know it will not happen."_

 _"Sumeragi…I…"_

 _"…I will leave you to making your final decision." Sumeragi told her. "I am sorry if I swayed it in my favor again. You must do what is right for everyone and what makes you happy. I know you want to continue to hold onto your husband's memory, but he is dead and you are alive. Please…I hope you make the right decision."_

 _Mikoto didn't know what to say. She wanted to call out to the King of Hoshido as he turned to leave her alone. The Queen of Izumo knew if she shouted his name, she would have made the decision right there. Instead, she let Sumeragi leave without any resistance as she sat down to agonize over her choices. In the shadows of the pagoda, someone was waiting for Sumeragi to leave before he decided to reveal himself…_

* * *

According to the note, Mikoto's fate was sealed the moment Sumeragi left. Apparently, Sumeragi's words hurt her deeply to the point that she could not stop rethinking her decision. Mikoto was so close to making a choice between her marriage candidates, but now she realized that she really could not choose at the end of the day without Corrin suffering.

Because she wasn't paying attention, she failed to realize that someone else had entered the room to "speak" to her. Corrin assumed this was the real killer, but the description clearly did not fit said killer.

* * *

 _"Christo, is there something you need?"_

 _Christo was really an unusual fellow. One would think he didn't have the strength to pick a fight with anyone, yet here he was with a bow in his hand. Mikoto was confused by the look of fear in Christo's eyes as he came in eye contact with her._

 _"Your Majesty…forgive me…but I have a duty to fulfill."_

 _Mikoto was confused until Christo raised his bow. She immediately stood up from her sitting position with the katana in hand. Christo flinched seeing that the queen was willing to wield a katana despite the promise of the past to not wield a sword._

 _"...Put your weapon down." She ordered. "I do not want to hurt you."_

 _"I cannot."_

 _"…As the Queen of Izumo, I have the right to defend myself…even if you are Izana's best friend."_

 _"Friend…as if…" Christo murmured to himself. "I'm his slave and he's not going to let me go until he gets what he wants."_

 _Mikoto was concerned for Christo and Izana at this point. What could Izana want with Christo? Yes, he was an angel who could give Izana a bigger edge in his prophecies than others because he had an actual heavenly being by his side to confirm or deny whatever he said. Christo was still like any other human though. She recalled how much of a scared angel he was two years ago when he crash landed on the Invisible Continent and people assumed he was a demon with how he looked. He was sent with a similar objective to AVALANCHE. He was to search for the water dragons that would help Midgar and the Outer Continent as a whole. What he didn't expect was to lose communication with heaven. Christo assumed that Izana was the sole reason for causing the disturbance with his powers. Unless he completed his task, he had no hope of returning to Paradiso._

 _"What would he want that would make you turn your weapon against me? Did I…mistreat you in some way?"_

 _Christo shook his head. "N-No…that's not it at all! You have been very kind to me these two years! You and Crimson have treated me like a normal person. Everyone either treats me like some demon because of my appearance! It's a disguise I can't remove at will! I was told I could change my appearance when I completed this one task, but…look at me now! I'm miserable! I'm…"_

 _The turquoise haired angel sighed in defeat as he lowered his bow. "…I can't assassinate anyone…even if I could return to heaven by completing my task…I can't turn this bow toward you." Christo growled in frustration at his weakness. He was an incompetent angel incapable of doing what he thought was right and what he needed to get done. It was why he was a slave to a human._

 _Mikoto lowered her weapon as well. She would have approached the young angel if the Duke of Izumo didn't decide to finally barge in. Christo jumped realizing that Izana was watching him this entire time._

 _"…You disappoint me greatly, Christo." Izana told him harshly. The usual smile that he had was long gone at this point replaced with an evil smile. "You really want me, the holy prophet, to get my hands dirty when it is an angel's duty to cast divine judgement on those who have done us humans wrong?"_

 _"Yes…no…I mean…"_

 _Mikoto was far from impressed with the blond prophet. "Izana…what is the meaning of this?"_

 _"Mikoto, sorry to burst your bubble, but I can't allow you to marry either king." Izana said, getting straight to the point for once. "It's unfortunate that they pushed you to make a decision now. You would have been able to live a longer life had it not been for those meddlesome kings."_

 _"…Izana…I do not understand."_

 _Izana had closed the door behind him so no one could easily eavesdrop. He didn't expect anyone to show up besides possibly Corrin. Sumeragi had to return to the party so no one would get suspicious of his whereabouts and Garon would not be allowed to leave. If Corrin showed up, Izana would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Yet he had a feeling that the silver haired prince's luck would come through and the boy would show up after he was done with the queen._

 _"You should understand. While not remarrying in the name of Anankos deserves some praise, it has hurt Izumo in the long run. You should have realized that. We have been plagued for the past eighteen years because of your indecisiveness. The Kingdom of Izumo has allowed the witches to plague the lands for so long that we were cursed the moment we lost the dragon that would bring us toward a brighter future. You allowed one witch to survive though despite them bringing nothing but bad luck. Because you did not cleanse all the witches, the monsters are free to do whatever they want. You begged for the kingdom of Hoshido and Nohr to assist you, but all that has done was put you in a huge debt to them and what the kings want is your hand in marriage after their wives past away. Instead of creating a law that could fix the situation, you played with their hearts."_

 _Mikoto stared at Izana coldly as he lectured her on her past decisions._

 _"…I never agreed to the Witch Hunts." She reminded Izana. "I still am disappointed you went through with that."_

 _"Lilith would have been our savior! She was one of the few purebloods of the Invisible Dragon left!"_

 _The Queen of Izumo flinched. Lilith was the odd child of Anankos…the one secret he didn't want to talk to her about. He didn't explain where Lilith came from, but she was a pure blood according to Anankos. She was the spitting image of her father with the light blue hair and gold eyes. Her kindheartedness and radiance became their light and dark times. She would have been able to guarantee the prosperity of the Invisible Continent…had it not been her tragic death at the hands of Metallia's demon._

 _"Izumo, compared to the rest of the kingdoms, relied on offerings to the dragons in order to prosper. When we lost Lilith, our nation started to fall into decline to the point we are in this situation now. The twins you gave birth to…they aren't going to change anything. They are tainted with your human blood, so when our continent starts to sink into the ocean…they won't have the power to hold us up."_

 _"I…"_

 _"Your husband and daughter are dead anyway." Izana continued. "Anankos does not need to be alive for the Invisible Continent to remain. He just needs one child alive. We are only alive because of your son, but the minute you make that decision, he will become the King of Izumo. You know why that's bad? He cannot be the next Lilith if he is governing the people. You will doom us all with this marriage…this is why you need to go."_

 _Mikoto was almost convinced by Izana's wrath. Almost. However, she felt like he was leaving important information out. She looked over towards Christo, who had remained silent this entire time._

 _"I need to be the one in power…" Izana mumbled. "I need to be the savior of Izumo..."_

 _"I do not believe you," Mikoto spoke. "I do not believe you want to save Izumo or the Invisible Continent."_

 _"Of course he doesn't…" Christo snarled. "My mission allows him to be a messiah without saving the people."_

 _Izana just laughed at Christo's words. "You may be an angel, but you still do not understand what the problem is."_

 _"Oh, I know what the problem is, you fraud." Christo hissed as he took a step away from Izana. "I'm the one that told you about the problems on the Outer Continent. It was all a myth to you guys until I confirmed it."  
_

 _When Christo opened his mouth about the Outer Continent two years ago, he confirmed a tale that no one truly believed except the religious nuts. There were six elemental dragons in the world: Water, Fire, Earth, Ice, Light and Darkness. Each original dragon had a bloodline with different powers that benefited and harmed the world. Most dragons used their power for good, but others used them for evil purposes. The Earth Dragon and the Dark Dragon were listed in old text as the enemies of the world. They were so evil that they had to be sealed away while their bloodline needed to be kept in check. Should the Earth and Dark Dragon reawaken again, the world was doomed._

 _There were two solutions to dealing with the evil dragons. Since it took all the power to seal them away, it would be near impossible to repeat the incident. Either the four remaining dragons would need to band together in order to deal with rising threat or choose between the Earth and Dark Dragon in order to perverse their bloodline. Why would the other dragons even need to side with the evil dragons if together, they were strong? The answer is simple. Should the dragons not be up to snuff like the Earth and Dark Dragon, they had another option that would almost guarantee their success if they picked the right dragon to side with. This idea was a theory that Christo crafted, but such an idea was preposterous to say the least. Thinking in terms of survival of the fittest would surely get him isolated by the other angels._

 _Regardless of what Christo thought, Izana came up with an even crazier theory that he could actually put into action before the Earth and Dark Dragon awoken from their slumbers. If an entire bloodline was wiped out, there would be no hope for either dragon awakening. According to legend, the Earth and Dark Dragon could only hope of waking up if the other four dragons were near them. There were many other requirements too, but Izana only needed to know that if one dragon bloodline was gone, then the world was saved._

 _"…My queen…if Izana gets his way, the entire continent will sink into the ocean." Christo told her. "He will destroy the entire bloodline of water dragons and prevent the Outer Continent from being saved."_

 _"Oh, but I would be saving the Outer Continent." Izana brought up. "The end of the world can't happen if we wipe out the remaining dragons here."_

 _Mikoto shook her head in disbelief. "That's horrible…"_

 _"It's a sacrifice I am willing to make. Mikoto is too weak to make the decision on her own." The duke said in a mocking tone._

 _"How awful…the people of Izumo look up to you…to think that you are willing to sacrifice everyone for a theory that might not be correct…"_

 _"Mikoto, the Invisible Continent has already gone to hell in the past eighteen years. We had two wars where you did nothing to stop it, and a third one is on the horizon between Hoshido and Nohr. Your kingdom will be caught in the middle of it whether you like it or not. Of course, you won't be alive to see the fallout."_

 _"No…if you do this…you'll die too."_

 _"But I'll be considered a savior to the Outer Continent." Izana reminded her. "I am this close to achieving my goal. Your husband and your daughter are dead. Your son is the last thing standing in my way in sinking the Invisible Continent._

 _Mikoto had heard enough of Izana's ranting. The katana was already raised toward the blond Onmyoji. Izana forced himself to smile as he looked her dead in the eye._

 _"Leave my son out of this." Mikoto said in a dark tone. "Do whatever you want with me…but I will not let you harm Corrin!"_

 _"Hmm…I can only guarantee your son's safety if you do the honor of committing seppuku."_

 _Christo could not believe Izana. How dare he tell Her Majesty to go kill herself!_

 _Her face draining of all its color, Mikoto was starting to realize how cold-hearted Izana was at this very moment._

 _"I can not only delay your son's death, but I will not frame him for your own. I can easily set things up to where your son will not be involved in this situation at all."_

 _"I do not trust you."_

 _"You will have to…after all…I hold your son's life in my hands."_

 _Mikoto gritted her teeth as she stared at the katana given to her by Sumeragi. If she committed suicide, she knew that Sumeragi would be framed for the crime. The war between Hoshido and Nohr was unavoidable at this point. Unless her son figured out the truth, the Invisible Continent would be engulfed in a war that would surely kill her son. Even if her death only delayed Corrin's death, she hoped that those close to her son would be able to stick by his side and be prepared to give up their lives for him._

 _"…Alright."_

 _Christo gasped as he started to rush over to Mikoto, but Izana called for him to not move from his spot. The dilemma showed in the turquoise angel's eyes as he was forced to stand down and lament his inability to protect the Queen of Izumo._

 _"If anyone ever finds out that you committed seppuku, I'll just tell them that you couldn't choose between the two men you love. Maybe then, war won't break out between Hoshido and Nohr if they see the reason for your death was because you couldn't bear to see them fighting."_

 _Mikoto's hands were shaking. She took a deep breath as she pointed the katana toward her stomach. The raven haired woman let out a small sigh as she felt cold sweat start to drip down her forehead. A thought struck her in the midst of the hazy cloud in her mind. She gave a grim look toward Izana._

 _"…Why are you doing this?" She asked weakly. "We've known each other since our childhood…you were such a kind-hearted man then…when did you become so power hungry?"_

 _"…Things have changed, Mikoto." Izana answered her sincerely. "You were so busy living in the past that you failed to see that the end is near for us all unless we act immediately. I will do anything to ensure that humanity will live. If I have to kill an old friend and her entire family off because she chose to romance an ancient dragon…so be it."_

 _Mikoto closed her eyes as she tried not to shed a tear for her fallen friend. Izana was not the same person that she knew…and no one was going to know he had strayed from the righteous path. Izana still believed he was in the right though as he waited for her to commit seppuku._

 _"…Corrin…I'm sorry…for leaving you with such a heavy burden." Mikoto whispered to herself as she finally plunged the sword deep into her chest. She coughed up her crimson blood, yet somehow she still had the strength to say, "Please forgive your foolish mother…I wasn't…able to protect you in the end…"_

 _Izana just laughed as the blood started to spill all over the carpet._

 _"…And the truth will be lost for all of time."_

* * *

The message written in Mikoto's handwriting ended and changed to the Heavenly Being writing the rest of the event. Corrin could tell that it wasn't his mother from the change in style and the change of point of view.

* * *

 _The Queen of Izumo thought that her death would stop the madness that would come. She assumed that the Invisible Dragon, Anankos, and her daughter were already taken to Paradiso. She will be relieved that her family is still alive as I write this. However, Izana knows that the queen would never be able to reach Paradiso. The Heavenly Servant Christo is aware that those who have committed suicide will never be able to reach Paradiso. Those who commit suicide have their soul taken to hell where they will never be able to find peace. I do not know if the queen is aware of her final fate, but this is why Izana wanted her dead. The dead cannot speak the truth and those who go to Inferno are forever silenced._

 _As a Heavenly Being who has done wrong in the past, I was prohibited from interfering with the affairs of the Invisible Continent. All hopes lie upon Christo, who will determine the fates of the beings on the Invisible Continent. The Goddess is testing him and his actions will affect his position when he returns._

 _For now, Izana is free to do whatever he wants with the body, and he chooses to arrange the crime scene, so the next person who comes looking for her will be greeted by the tragic scene. Izana predicts the queen's son will arrive first and accuse Sumeragi of being the killer with a lack of an alibi and his present to the queen being the weapon used to taker her own life. When Izana leaves to grab the booze like he said he would, the queen's son will arrive soon after activating his dragon abilities for the first time. It is only a matter of time before he masters the way of the dragon…_

* * *

Corrin dropped the note on the floor at that point after he finished reading it. He wanted to throw his mother's final words into the incinerator and forget she ever pointed the finger at Izana. He wanted to accuse the Heavenly Being who helped her in writing her "will" as a liar trying to set Izana up as the villain. There were so much evidence that it was forged that Corrin should have just taken the note and asked Izana directly.

"It can't be…Izana isn't a murderer…" Corrin whispered softly to himself. He suddenly felt dizzy and ready to faint. "Izana isn't that crazy…I've known him all of my life…he wouldn't…put Mother to death like that…"

No one comforted Corrin as the truth was laid out in front of him and for good reasons. Kamui was scared shit after the note revealed the truth. She was good at not showing fear, but with every word that Corrin spoke, her heart started to skip a beat until she felt her heart nearly stop. From what was written, things were way bigger than she had imagined and Izana had big plans for her and Corrin. Cloud, Bayonetta and Flora all looked to the door as if they had the same idea.

"Corrin…we need to go." Kamui said. Her voice quivered when she opened her mouth, and she couldn't stop it. "We need to leave and convey this information to Father before it's too late."

Cloud patted Corrin on the back as if to get him to snap out of his trance. The poor prince was still shaken by this news and had yet to absorb all the information given to him. The blond did not need to doubt the information seeing as how Izana was suspicious from the get go to him. When Corrin wouldn't move, Cloud was forced to lift him up. The dragon prince followed as if in a trance. Bayonetta offered to put the note in her hair for safe keeping. The group then started out the door to return to Valla safely.

Bayonetta's fear did come to fruition. They didn't even get far outside of the room before they fell into a trap.

"And where do you think you're going Prince Corrin?"

"Oh shit…" Cloud could be heard cursing under his breath. "Of all the bad things that could happen…"

Cloud didn't get to finish his train of thought as everyone was able to see why he was starting to panic. In front of them was the man behind Mikoto's death. The sincere smile on his face betrayed the fact that he had soldiers behind him. It wasn't just the soldiers from Izumo though. He had Macbeth, Gantz and Zora by his side…all with Nohrian soldiers that were ready to kill. To make matters worse though, it wasn't just a sleazy bunch that Cloud could label as villains and kill them. No…while Izana had one side of the hallway covered, the other side of the hallway had the Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings blocking their exit. Cloud could see Ryoma, Marx, Leon and Takumi with their retainers. This was the worst possible scenario that could happen.

"Impossible…how did they know we were here?" Bayonetta mumbled to herself.

"You four aren't going anywhere." Izana hummed as he took a step forward. "You cannot run. There are soldiers surrounding the entire pagoda. I have cancelled all the portals that could allow you to escape."

Izana planned this. It was obvious that they had fallen into a deadly trap. The signs were right there, but they fell right into it. Learning the truth could have very well cost them their lives. Corrin shook his head in disbelief. He still refused to believe in Mikoto and the heavenly being's words. What was written down couldn't be the truth!

Kamui's eyes widened in horror at the number Izana mentioned. There were five of them yet…

"Four?!"

Macbeth let out a sinister laugh as he pointed toward the group. "Yes! There was a traitor in your group this entire time! For the witch, it should have been obvious that there was a rat in your group! I will reward her kindly for luring Cloud Strife and the witch into this wonderful trap."

Corrin wanted to cry. There was no way there was a traitor among his group of friends! Izana was already bad enough.

"N-No way…Flora…please no…"

Flora had yet to say anything when the group was surrounded. Kamui had no problem turning her hand into a spear in an attempt to impale the traitor. Flora was rather quick with blocking with her kunai before jumping back. She ended up landing near Christo. Christo tried his very best to hide behind the other soldiers. Kamui snarled at the two people who were supposed to be helping Corrin being on the enemy side and getting them into this terrible situation.

"COWARDS! ALL OF YOU!" Kamui yelled. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING US! NOT TURNING US IN, YOU SCUM!"

Christo lowered his head in shame at Kamui's words. As an angel, it was pathetic to watch the events before him play out without lending a helping hand. The turquoise haired angel felt like if he attempted to do something at that very moment, he would regret his actions later…so he decided to wait and see what would happen…even if that meant slowly hiding out in the back when Izana and Macbeth weren't paying attention to him.

Cloud snarled at Flora as she had went over to Macbeth's side. Her expression was unreadable as Macbeth praised her again for doing a good job on giving him the information he needed. If he had known that the evil tactician had persuaded Flora to his side, he would have cut her down on the spot. The mercenary believed that after she failed to expose AVALANCHE's location the first time that maybe she was trustworthy after all, but apparently that was not the case. He wanted to talk to Corrin about an escape plan, but there was no way he would get anything coherent out of him.

Things went from bad to worse for the poor prince. Kamui wondered how this was affecting him mentally. The truth was supposed to be clean-cut…not a horrifying betrayal.

"Everyone…please stop…" Corrin weakly begged. "I know who killed mother…please…stop…"

Corrin would never be able to admit that Mikoto killed herself to save him though. He was in so much denial that he felt like he was willing to believe his own lies. It was supposed to be Macbeth that killed her in cold blood. It was supposed to be Macbeth that blackmailed Izana into working with him. It was Macbeth who was using his magic to brainwash Flora.

Izana could see how mentally destroyed Mikoto's son was at the moment, and showed a rather vicious smile.

"Now, now Corrin…what makes you think you have the truth?"

"W-What…"

"Bayonetta…no…Cereza…did you put the note on the desk for the poor boy to read?"

Bayonetta was taken back at his accusation (and the fact he referred to her by her real name). "Excuse me?!"

"…Heh…so that's the truth you crafted." Izana looked toward the dragon prince and gave him a rather apologetic look despite his tone not matching his facial expression. "Corrin…you have been deceived. The original note was burned by a last request. Did you see anything about Mikoto wishing for the message to be burned? If not, then it is a fabricated suicide note. The queen did not want her son to be dragged into this mess."

Izana was lying through his teeth. Bayonetta wanted to call him out on it, but he was quick with pointing the finger toward her.

"That witch right there and Cloud Strife are the true murderers of Queen Mikoto's death. They conspired with their small group called AVALANCHE in hopes to bring her and all of Izumo down." Izana continued to lie with a huge smile on his face. "We simply cannot allow you two to live. Isn't that right, Prince Ryoma and Prince Marx?"

Ryoma and Marx had no problem turning their swords toward the thief and the witch. They were a threat to them and those they cared about. They would save Corrin and Kamui from their grasp and would avenge the people who were killed because of them.

"If you got any plans, you might want to tell us now." Cloud growled. He was mainly talking to Bayonetta seeing as how Corrin and Kamui didn't think too far ahead.

"I do have one idea left." Bayonetta whispered to the blond. "I just hope you're ready to react."

"Huh?"

Bayonetta smiled arrogantly as her body started to glow. Izana's eyes sharpened as he thought the Umbra Witch might actually summon her demoness this time around.

"Sorry boys, we have other places to be."

The ground in front of Bayonetta formed a huge red circle as if she were going to summon a demon from Inferno. Izana realized this and told everyone to get back. They could hear the voice of an unamused demon being summoned. However, at the last minute, Bayonetta cancelled her summon and used an amateur witch spell that covered the area in a black fog. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes and mouth due to assuming it was toxic.

"This way!" Bayonetta shouted as she expected the dragon twins to be able to see through the fog rather easily in comparison to everyone else, leaving Cloud as the odd man out. Cloud felt the older woman grab his wrists and pull him away from the smoke and large group of soldiers. Corrin and Kamui trailed after them quickly. Kamui had to drag Corrin just a bit because he wanted to grab Flora when she would only slow them down. Now that it was apparent that she was a spy, they couldn't afford to get caught.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AFTER THEM!" Macbeth roared realizing that they had been tricked when the smoke started to disappear. "I WILL NOT LET THEM GET AWAY FROM ME THIS TIME!"

* * *

Without a plan, a distraction could only go so far. Bayonetta failed to realize that there was a witch barrier surrounding the pagoda that was depleting her magic bit by bit. She overused it when she decided to use Panther Within to get to Izana's room faster upon arriving in the pagoda. Combined with the spell she just used and she was already running low on magic again that would require a charge.

There was one way they could have gotten out of this situation, but Bayonetta threw that idea aside. Summoning Madama Butterfly would have been a game changer. Despite the witch barrier, Madama Butterfly would have been strong enough to not only break the barrier but to cause a lot of damage to the soldiers that surrounded the pagoda. Bayonetta didn't want to risk it though. She didn't want Madama Butterfly betraying her when she needed her the most.

Christo took Bayonetta's hesitance as an opportunity to strike. The turquoise haired angel was proving that he did not play by the rules at all. Since Bayonetta was the one leading the way to the lower floors of Izumo, Christo waited until she was in one of the open areas outside of the pagoda. It was easier to run across the small garden inside of Izumo instead of run around and risk getting caught. Christo waited before he shined a bright light on her to stop Bayonetta in her tracks. He then used this opportunity to wrap her in an angelic halo that restrained her movements. She let out a yelp at how the burned her skin whenever the light portion came in contact with it.

"BAYONETTA!" Cloud screamed as he saw the older woman get captured by the Heavenly Being. The buster sword was already out cutting down soldiers who got in their way, but Christo was next on the chopping block for harming his business partner.

"…I wouldn't do that if I were you." Christo told him darkly as he stood behind the Umbra Witch and used her as a shield against Cloud should he try to thrust his sword at him. "I would advise you and the twins to lay down your weapons before I decide to kill her."

Cloud wanted to call his bluff. Christo showed that he meant business. He waited for Corrin and Kamui to catch up with the blond before he created an ice dagger from his magic and held it in front of the Umbra Witch's throat.

"BAYONETTA!" Corrin cried out. His heart couldn't take the pain of losing anyone anymore. "Christo, please don't kill her!"

"I won't if you three surrender now." Christo told him. "I'm a Heavenly Being after all and we're merciful to those who obey us."

"Guhh…why would a Heavenly Being work for a swell guy like Izana?" Bayonetta asked in a dark tone.

Christo had no obligation to answer her. He waited for Corrin's response, and felt a little bit of guilt seeing Corrin was nearly brought to tears.

"P-Please…Christo…you got to listen to me…"

"…Why would I? I work for Izana and he's not on your side. You have no reason to put your faith in me."

Christo was simply biding time for his boss and the others to catch up to them. Cloud had no time to come up with a plan especially when he was on the receiving end of a surprise attack that sent him flying into the nearby wall. He was held in place for a few seconds before the man dropped him to the ground.

"CLOUD!"

"I've been waiting for a chance to get my revenge on you."

Corrin had to question how Gantz was able to close the gap between him and Cloud so quickly. Now the bulky man was standing over Cloud ready to kill him when given the word. Soon, Macbeth, Izana and Zora would catch up to them ready to capture their targets.

"The tides are not in your favor." Christo stated the obvious as he glared at the dragon twins again. "I won't ask you two again. Drop your weapons if you want your friends to live."

This was possibly the worst case scenario in Kamui's mind. Not only did Izana not want to listen to reason, but he was the culprit and had everyone turned against them. She and Corrin would be safe no doubt even if they were to surrender, but there was no guarantee that Cloud and Bayonetta would be spared. Kamui glanced over to Corrin who was threatening to break down in tears. Of all the times to give up…

"And to think that we have your little maid to thank." Macbeth mocked as Flora caught up to them. "She may not have been in Valla for long, but she gave us the information we needed to corner your little group like a pack of rats."

Corrin refused to believe that Flora betrayed him like this and that Macbeth didn't sway her to his side.

"Flora…why…" He asked quietly as he nearly choked a sob.

Flora's expression darkened as she approached the twins. Kamui was ready to stab her seeing the magical aura around the blue haired maid.

"I am sorry this happened…" Flora apologized. Her expression shifted to one of despair as she refused to look her prince in the eyes. "I was too scared to tell you…I was expecting to die and not be saved. It was only a matter of time…but the least I can do is help you escape Lady Kamui."

Kamui was confused by her words. Flora turned her attention to Izana, Macbeth and Zora and immediately used her ice magic to create an ice wall that blocked them from approaching. She then turned around and smacked Gantz against the wall with an ice attack that pinned him to the wall. Since he was strong, he would break out of it quickly. The dragon twins were confused at what was going on.

In the midst of the chaos, Bayonetta noticed that Christo was chanting a spell in the angelic language. It was similar to the portal spell that she used. Christo used the spell below Kamui's feet. She only realized too late what he was trying to do.

"You guys are nothing but trouble." Christo hissed. "At least you can tell Sir Shulk what is going on in here and that he needs to hurry up."

Kamui was so lost at this point. She let out a scream as she fell through the portal. If Christo was fast enough, he would have been able to warp Corrin out of trouble as well, but that wasn't going to happen. Whatever spell Izana used, it easily destroyed the ice barrier that was blocking the villainous group from advancing. At the same time, Izana had summoned demons from hell to go through the portal before it closed. Christo cursed to himself how he needed to work on closing the portals faster. All Macbeth knew from the scene was that someone used the portal spell and that Kamui escaped. The demons were supposed to fly in and grab her but…

"I guess the princess will be joining her mother shortly." Izana said with a laugh.

Macbeth was not pleased to hear this. Once the portal closed, the evil tactician started cursing at the blond prophet.

"Why would you send those demons to kill the princess?! I need her!"

"You only need the prince for your lovely wedding." Izana corrected him. "Besides, she's like a cockroach. She might survive the swarm of demons and return for her brother. If she survived eighteen years ago, then these demons should be nothing to her." Izana smirked at the idea of Kamui surviving. If she came all the way back here after what happened, he would gladly take her life. She had been a nuisance to him enough. "I think you should be happy that the one you are to marry is right in front of you."

Macbeth would easily forgive Izana for his attempt at killing the dragon princess as the dragon prince was still in front of her. Granted, Flora was in the way, but once she was dead, there was nothing stopping him from claiming his prize. He waited for this moment and he wasn't going to let Flora double-cross them.

"Flora, you need to be punished." Izana said while laughing bitterly at her. "You simply cannot betray your prince and then turn around and betray us at the last minute. The prince may be a naïve fool, but you're worse than him if you think you're going to survive for betraying me."

Flora took out her kunai and continued to stand close to Corrin. The prince was still in a state of shock. Only when he realized that there might be a chance was he starting to respond.

"F-Flora…"

"Prince Corrin…I really am sorry." Flora apologized. "I am a weak servant. If it was Felicia instead of me…then I wouldn't have had surrendered…but I feared for my life so…"

"D-Don't say that!" Corrin shouted. "I…I still believe in you!"

Flora's eyes widened before she smiled sadly. "You're too kind…but there isn't much time for me…"

She knew her death was coming. Izana was preparing a spell that would kill her in front of her beloved prince. If he didn't hit her fast enough, Gantz would surely break out of the ice and pummel her into the ground. He did break out of the ice, but Macbeth ordered him to keep an eye on Cloud so the mercenary wouldn't gain a sudden burst of strength and fight back against them.

"If only you thought twice about betraying me minutes after betraying Corrin, you would have been my left hand woman." Izana taunted as his hands started to catch fire. "Normally, I would use a scroll to cast a spell like this, but I'm feeling confident from the energy given to me by the Heavenly Beings. You deserve this."

Only one prince and his retainers were able to find where the commotion was after Bayonetta forced them to scatter. Leon was either the luckiest or the unluckiest prince of all with Zero and Odin who came upon the horrifying scene that Izana graced them with. Flora had pushed Corrin out of the way so he wouldn't be caught by the attack. The fire hit the ice maid directly and she burst into flames almost immediately. Corrin froze in fear at the scene before her. He couldn't move his legs nor could he transform into a dragon to save her. Bayonetta was horrified at the scene before her and closed her eyes. However she couldn't plug her ears from Flora's terrified screams echoing throughout the pagoda nor could she ignore the horrible stench of human flesh burning.

"This is music to my ears." Macbeth hummed.

Izana snickered as a response. However, he did not let his guard down. Flora may have been burning, but she was still alive. In the flames, her eyes glowered at him as she forced herself to take a step.

"IZANA, PUT THE FIRE OUT!" Corrin heard himself screaming as he tried to stand up but found that he lost the strength to do so. "PLEASE! I'LL GO WITH YOU! J-JUST DON'T KILL HER!"

"It's too late for that." Izana told him darkly. "You can just sit there and watch your last retainer burn to ashes."

"I…won't…not yet…" Flora hissed as she took another step toward Izana. "I will…take…you down…with me…"

Izana raised his eyebrow when Flora suddenly used the remainder of her strength to sprint toward him and grab at his robes. She wanted him to catch on fire too. Macbeth and Zora froze thinking that Izana would actually die from his own spell, but the Duke of Izumo was unfazed by her actions.

"You really underestimate me…" Izana mumbled. "How sad."

He looked at her hand and could see that she wouldn't be able to hold onto him for long. Her skin had already melted off at an alarming rate to the point that the skeleton bones were visible. He simply pushed her away without the fire getting on him and cast the spell again when she tried to lunge at him again. He laughed at Flora's face more than anything. Her face was already melting off to the point that her face was unrecognizable, but the single eyeball was still leering in his direction. She realized her efforts were futile when she found herself on the ground. The fire continued to spread and she was on the verge of being consumed by the flames.

 _Prince Corrin…I'm sorry for letting you…see me…like this…I'm sorry…Felicia that you…are…alone in this…world…now…Jok…er…_

Izana laughed at the work of art in front of him. The fire spell made it to where it would burn the body but the bones. He wanted to rub it in that Corrn's maid was nothing but a skeleton. Heck, he wanted to make puns about her death, but he wouldn't be able to seeing as how he noticed that it would be unlike him to mock someone after their death. Leon and his retainers were watching, so he had to hold his tongue.

Corrin's rage reached its peak seeing the bones of his maid crumble to the ground. If he had doubts of Izana being a traitor, he could finally cast his doubts aside. Izana was a betrayer and betrayers needed to be eliminated. Macbeth purred seeing Corrin's eyes flash red as he started transforming into a dragon. He wasn't going to let him do that so easily and ruin his plans.

"Got you~"

Corrin heard Macbeth's voice, and before he realized what happened, the necklace that Corrin had kept with him suddenly glowed. The dragon prince forgot about it due to it being tucked into his armor. He kept it close to him though as he respected King Garon. Macbeth was glad to know that Corrin didn't suspect a thing and activated the curse that was inside the necklace.

"W-What the-"

"Shh, it's time to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to prepare for our wedding." Macbeth hummed.

The rage in his eyes suddenly disappeared as his eyelids became droopy. The Izumo prince tried to stay awake and transform into a dragon. He needed to kill everyone here and protect his remaining friends. He couldn't even do that. His body wasn't letting him. Corrin's eyes finally lost its color and he ended up fainting on the spot. Leon wanted to assist the dragon prince immediately but Gantz was way ahead of him. Once he removed his foot off of Cloud and went over to the dragon prince, he had no problem lifting Corrin off the ground and carrying him like baggage.

"Corrin!" Bayonetta called out before glaring at Macbeth and Izana who found the situation amusing. "You…"

"Normally, I would put a witch to sleep too seeing as how dangerous they are." Izana began. "I would burn them at the stake later, but I need those items in your hair. You won't get them out now because you're too stubborn to realize you're in a bad position, so I already have something unique prepared for you." The blond prophet glanced toward the other big Nohrian soldiers under Macbeth's command. "You two…take these two to the dungeons of Izumo. I have a special treat for them.

Cloud hated that feeling of helplessness. If he just noticed that Gantz was waiting to sucker punch him, he wouldn't find himself being grabbed on both sides. He couldn't get his sword out to fight him, but the minute they let him go, they would unarm him. The blond glanced over to Gantz who was ordered to take Corrin "away". Izana didn't him a clue on where exactly the Izumo prince would be held, but it wasn't going to be a nice place. As for Bayonetta, the Umbra Witch struggled to fight with the soldiers that Christo handed her off to, but Christo's magic proved too powerful for her and she was led away after Corrin. Cloud gave one last glare toward Macbeth and Izana before resigning to his fate.

At least Kamui had a chance to save them…

* * *

Shulk let out a sigh of relief when he lost the Hoshido soldiers that were stalking him and Ava. Ever since the failed execution, they had to move from place to place to avoid getting captured. Shulk would blame the pink haired tactician for nearly getting caught because of bratty nature. Ava was promised a reward for getting an update from Christo on what was happening inside of the pagoda. Things were getting worse by the minute and Ava only had one thing on his mind after completing his task. Shulk felt ashamed that he humored Ava just a little on his reward. If he was captured, Shulk wouldn't hear the end of it from Pit.

"Why are you mad, Master Shulk?" Ava asked. "We escaped from them!"

"Your hormones almost got us captured." Shulk hissed. "I cannot afford to fail this mission and put Tiki in danger!"

"…But you're really stressed." Ava mumbled as he latched onto Shulk's arm. "I hate seeing Master Shulk like this…"

Shulk let out a huge sigh as he dragged Ava with him to where Tiki and Nyx were hiding. There was a hotel on the Hoshido side of Izumo that offered people rooms regardless of circumstance. Nyx had found this out and urged the group to pay for the hotel seeing as how there was no consequence to staying here. As long as the group could foresee the future, they would not have to worry about the soldiers capturing them. It was only when Ava did something that threw everything off was when there was a risk.

"…I love you, Master Shulk…"

Shulk's eyes widened before he felt his cheeks turn pink. His heart started to flutter at the words Ava casually threw out.

"…Save it, Ava. You know I can't."

"I know. You want Robin to say that to you…but we know his situation. He cannot pursue a relationship with you…the negatives outweigh the positives…and I'm here to fill in the void."

Shulk shook his head. "N-No…my relationship with Prince Robin is not like that. I've just been his friend and his knight. That's all we have been and what we ever will be. His sister will kill me if it was anything more than that."

Ava hated when the Monado boy was in denial of his feelings. He always asked Ava or Daraen to help him when he couldn't contain his desire for the Prince of Plegia. It was why they were almost caught though. He missed his friend so much that he wanted to tell him everything that was bugging him.

Shulk wanted to drop the conversation. As the two were walking up the stairs and heading to the top floor where Nyx and Tiki were staying, Ava stopped him when they were in front of the door. There wasn't anyone around so the pink haired tactician had no problem pulling Shulk down into a small kiss. The knight awkwardly returned the kiss. He looked ready to pull him into a hug, but stopped himself. Shulk gave a weak glare as a response before getting ready to open the door. At that moment, images were given to him and his eyes started to glow. Of all the times to have a vision…

"Shulk?"

The visions were not about his group getting into big trouble though. No, it was Corrin, Cloud and Bayonetta that were suffering in the vision. Shulk could see the terrible fate that would befall them soon. He saw the dragon prince under a spell that forced him to wed Macbeth. If anyone tried to object to the wedding, a gunner would put an end to their miserable lives. Shulk's visions bounced back and forth to the point that Shulk did not know the order of the events. He could hear Cloud screaming for Bayonetta and the Umbra Witch being assaulted in the prison cell she was being held in by two people before being dragged out. They forced her to wear a collar that seemed to control her when she shot into the crowd and killed many people from Hoshido and Nohr who did not want Corrin marrying the evil tactician. Shulk could barely see who was getting shot at the wedding but he was certain one of the siblings from either Hoshido or Nohr was going to die a brutal death as a result. As for Cloud…he seemed to have fought his way through the cell, but he was a bloody mess. Cloud called out to his friends to try and snap them out of their trances but Bayonetta would pull the trigger on him. The vision ended with Macbeth laughing how he won and how he just needed Kamui to return for her brother for a perfect win.

When the vision ended, Shulk let out a horrid cry as he pulled back. Ava tried to catch him, but Shulk ended up backing himself against the wall instead in order to not fall on the floor.

"W-What was that?!" Shulk asked out loud. "Corrin…Cloud…Bayonetta…"

At this point, Tiki had opened the door for Shulk to see that he had just finished his vision. She looked equally pale. Nyx had suggested to Tiki to lie down but that wasn't happening.

"You had a vision just now?" Tiki asked wearily.

"Y-Yes…they're in danger! We need to get to the pagoda now! Uhhh…but I don't know where that church is in this vision! I didn't see one at all and this is getting out of hand! Where is Kamui?!"

"Master Shulk…calm down…" Ava mumbled. "We have to be calm if we want to save them…"

"I know that." Shulk hissed as he glanced at Tiki. "Tiki, please get in contact with Pit as soon as possible. That bastard needs to create a miracle if he still wants Corrin and Kamui alive."

"He'll probably say that's your job," Tiki snarked, "but I will do that."

Tiki wouldn't have the time to contact the heavenly being though seeing as a portal appeared from the ceiling near them. Shulk immediately ordered Ava to stand behind him as he prepared to bust out the Monado. Nyx had her tome ready and insisted that Tiki also stay in the back. At first they were relieved that it was Kamui that came out of the portal, but the relief would turn to fear when demons that Shulk recognized from the Outer Continent appeared out of it and grabbed Kamui by the hair. She was completely taken off guard, so she ended up dropping the Yatogami when she needed it the most. She nearly choked when the demon pulled her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" The demon asked as he let out a pathetic cry when as he continued to yank her hair. "We got some business with you."

These demons from the Outer Continent were more humanoid than the monsters on the Invisible Continent. They could speak like a normal person, but they had the super strength to differentiate them from humans. The demons had devil wings on their backs and could cause a ruckus with or without weapons. Five other demons came out of the portal expecting to restrain the dragon princess.

"Let her go!" Shulk shouted as he activated the Monado immediately. The demons were caught off guard by the knight's voice. "Your opponent is me!"

"This is not going to go well…" Tiki mumbled as she stepped back. "I…will contact Pit…"

"Please do. Ava, take care of her! Nyx, you're with me!"

Nyx paired up with Shulk almost immediately as they charged toward the demons. Ava gave a worried glance toward Tiki before he decided to obey the Seer of Plegia. He took out his thunder tome and prepared to aim it at the demon. Tiki urged him to wait.

"…I have a feeling I know what Pit is going to tell us."

"I have an idea on how we're going to use these demons to our advantage too." Ava told her. "We don't need to kill all of them. We just need to get rid of a few of them and run…innocent civilians will be caught in the crossfire, but it will get the soldiers off our backs."

Tiki hated this scheme, but knew it was what the brunette would suggest. There was only one way to find out…

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 14039 words.**

 **Li:…Holy shit…**

 **Me: I wonder how many of you expected that it was Izana that was the man behind the man. Notes!**

 **1\. The teleporter in the exact location Corrin needed to be was the trap. Bayonetta has established herself as laying these teleporters all over Izumo as a way of moving from one place to another in a similar vein to the Muspelheim Portals that take Bayonetta to another dimension for those challenges. The Gates of Hell is also another reference of using portals to link to one location. The point is that Bayonetta has been doing this so much, that it wouldn't occur to anyone that Flora set one up in Valla that linked to Christo's portal in the pagoda.**

 **2\. In the S Support with Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura, Mikoto is implied to be able to see the future. It's not explained how she's able to do this, but she predicts her children would fall in love with Corrin/Kamui and she writes a message explaining they are not blood related. This is a darker scenario obviously seeing as how Mikoto being stressed out came from the fact she was having visions of her death at the hands of her friend. The person she asked to write is a heavenly being, but who it is…I'll keep it a secret unless you can figure it out from the small evidence I give you.**

 **3\. If you guys were being suspicious of Christo, you had a good reason too. Christo was the one that was supposed to murder Mikoto. This is a reference to Disgaea 5 how Christo was ordered by his superior to murder Void Dark in order to prove he wasn't a spy for the Netherworld. In the game, Christo ends up learning that demons are not all that evil and eventually sides with them instead of throwing them under the bus when it comes time for the angels to retaliate. Here, he cannot bring himself to kill the woman that had treated him kindly for the few years he's been trapped on the Invisible Continent with no way to get home. Since Christo knew Izana was evil, it was absolute hell for him to get his hands dirty.**

 **4\. From chapter 3 onward, is the start of the investigation. Izana is the culprit of the murder even though Mikoto's death is a forced suicide. Congrats to the people who figured out it was suicide. I chose Izana to throw everyone off on who the culprit was because if Mikoto committed suicide, there was no villain and it would be too simple. As pointed out here too, people that commit suicide are dragged off to hell, thus there is no way for Mikoto to tell the truth of the incident without relying on the heavenly being. However, the original note got burned and there is a copy thus allowing for Izana to accuse Bayonetta of duplicating it. In all three routes, Zora is notorious for disguising himself as Izana and trying to lead Corrin and the siblings into a trap. The siblings insist that Izana is incapable of acting quirky…until you save the real one and he is. Izana in Revelations dies because of the Valla curse, but remember the important thing about Izana: he can speak to the Gods about what to do next. When Shulk's party was introduced, it would make sense for him to get angry because there is someone else who speaks to the Gods and could expose him for the criminal he was. Izana's reasoning doesn't exactly make sense in this chapter, so wait a few more chapters where Corrin's group can confront him on his role in Mikoto's death. I'll tell you now that he is involved in the witch hunt as well given the numbers thrown out. But let's have a recap of things that pointed to Izana as the culprit…**

 **a. His whereabouts were unknown on the night of the banquet, but Macbeth had an idea where Izana was.**

 **b. Izana was in charge of the investigation. Corrin already tampered with the crime scene and Izana didn't punish Corrin because Corrin did what Izana intended to do. Once everyone left, he could start fabricating the scene, so when there were constant talks of framing Cloud despite having an alibi, it's because Izana could make it possible.**

 **c. Christo not really answering the question of whether or not there is any evidence stems from Izana biding his time and waiting for the opportunity to try and frame Cloud of the crime. The reason he wanted Bayonetta captured (more than Tifa) is because he wanted to lure them out, but Kamui showing up along with Shulk's group threw that trap out the window.**

 **d. "Citizens of Izumo, you may be wondering why there is an execution being held today. Well, after** _ **Duke Izana's**_ **investigation, we have found out that these two people are guilty of conspiring against Izumo and were involved in the assassination of Queen Mikoto." –Macbeth in chapter 10 during the attempted execution scene. Macbeth was telling the truth.**

 **e. Izana's calm demeanor in general in chapter 10 is calm and rather manipulative and threatening. Christo does not want to be in the same room as Izana and is nearly forced to reveal his identity to the kings because of the magic he was using. He gets away with it because Izana has similar powers as a prophet. Again, Izana is not pleased that Shulk is here to ruin his plans given Shulk is notorious to the heavenly beings for being able to defy fate when things were set. Christo knows who he is as revealed in the next chapter by Ava. He's also not that happy to find out that Anankos and Kamui are still alive eighteen years later.**

 **f. Izana is the one that suggests that Flora is used as a spy seeing as how Bayonetta was too weak to notice anything was off with her. Flora is weak willed when concerned. In the game, she was forced to choose between Corrin, her life and/or her tribe. Her death here is a reference to Birthright where she takes her own life, but Izana killing her in front of Corrin sounded crueler. Bayonetta realized too late that Flora was a spy. I mean, you think Flora survived Macbeth's torture without surrendering? Bayonetta was asleep, so she could have missed the moment Flora made a deal with Izana and/or Macbeth.**

 **g. When Macbeth is talking to the mysterious person who I refused to name, it was Izana. It should have been obvious by chapter 11 given that Macbeth and Izana were talking, Crimson overheard them and then Izana told Macbeth he would have Christo kill her. The only reason people would be confused by Christo's boss is in the scene right after with Ava, Christo reminds Ava that Pit is his boss too, so it could have been Pit that ordered the death of Crimson.**

 **5\. The flower necklace given to Corrin by Garon in chapter 3 was the item that Macbeth used to spy on Corrin the entire time. As time went on, it was easier to do so, and while Macbeth had no idea where Valla was, he was able to watch Corrin do many things…specifically bathe alone. Garon had no idea the jewel was hexed though, so when Macbeth willed it later on, Corrin would be under his control. I never wanted to draw attention to it afterward since I felt it was obvious how exactly Macbeth was spying on Corrin especially if Corrin had it on most of the time and only took it off on a few occasions.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. With that, there are a few more chapters until the story is finished. There are still a lot more deaths coming from the looks of things and characters that might not have died in Fates canon could actually be murdered in the last few chapters. Ja ne!**


	17. Unravel

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy! There is a sex scene that is only on AO3. Read it on that website for it. The gore isn't going to be censored in this chapter for obvious reasons. Bayonetta's flashback is really dark...you have been warned.**

Chapter 17: Unravel

* * *

Corrin was not be able to sleep for long period of time, yet it would have better if he stayed asleep. Waking up would only make him realize he was in a nightmare scenario. The dragon prince woke up on a bed that wasn't his own. He growled at the sudden headache he got, possibly from sitting up too quickly. Once it subsided, he felt the familiar pangs of panic rising. Corrin forced himself to remain calm as he desperately tried to remember what happened.

 _Kamui, Flora and I went to the pagoda to figure out the truth from Izana. Bayonetta and Cloud followed us so we went together. We found out the truth from my mother's suicide note…she said Izana was the one that told her to commit suicide in order to save me. We tried to escape but we were surrounded. Flora betrayed us…and then saved my sister…and paid for it with her death by Izana's hands. I wanted to strangle Izana…but Macbeth used some sort of spell…and then I blacked out. What happened after that?_

Corrin wondered why he stopped crying after everything that happened. Maybe he was feeling numb after the revelation. If things weren't moving so fast, he would have been able to ask himself what was the point of everything. Was he living a lie this entire time? Izana was his mother's best friend yet Izana had no problem betraying her for power. What was the point of growing close to someone if they were only going to backstab you in the end? Mikoto died in vain. Izana's crime would never be brought to the surface. Even if Corrin were to seize the throne, he knew that it would be difficult to prove that Izana was the one who instigated the murder against his mother. If he thought about it anymore, Corrin would probably break down in tears again. Instead, Corrin attempted to get off the bed and leave.

There was one huge problem though. Whoever put Corrin in the room did not want him to leave. The first thing Corrin noticed was that the window was sealed shut. This applied to the door as well. When Corrin stood up and tried to open the door, somebody had locked it from the outside. Corrin wondered what room in the pagoda was like this. The second problem Corrin noticed was that he was stripped of his sword and dragonstone. He wouldn't be able to forcibly break out of the room anytime soon.

Speaking of strip down…

"Where the hell is my armor?!"

Corrin just now realized that he wasn't in his battle attire. Yes, the armor was hanging on the wall, but the bigger issue was someone stripped him down and forced him into this feminine nightgown. The nightgown was as pure as snow, though it wasn't opaque like it. Corrin blushed at how much skin was being exposed. The gown's length only covered his butt. Things got worse from there though. Corrin's underwear was nowhere to be seen and replaced by laced panties. Whoever took advantage of his sleeping state really wanted to put him in his place…and Corrin shivered at who could have taken advantage of him…

"…Don't tell me…"

Corrin flinched when the door clicked open. He was hoping that it would it be a friendly face. He was dead wrong.

"…Macbeth…" Corrin hissed as he got into a defensive stance. If only he had his dragonstone, then he could get a surprise attack in.

"I'm glad Rapunzel is awake now." Macbeth hummed as he closed the door behind him. "How do you like your new clothes?"

"You sick bastard…" was Corrin's response. "Your sick fantasies have no bounds!"

Macbeth just laughed as he approached the dragon prince. Corrin took a step back, not wanting the evil tactician near him. Desperately, he looked around to see if there was anything he could use to attack Macbeth, but the Nohrian tactician made sure to not let the Izumo prince have any sort of weapon.

"You won't be running away, Rapunzel," Macbeth started as he finally decided to sit on the bed instead of walking up to the scared prince. "Why don't you sit down next to me, so we can have a long chat?"

"…That's not going to happen." Corrin murmured. "You dressed me up like a doll. I know what you want from me…you're still obsessed with marrying me."

Macbeth smiled at the word "marrying". Corrin shivered at the perverted stare he gave him. "I wouldn't use the word "obsessive." There is no need to when I know you return my feelings."

"What in God's name makes you think…"

Corrin stopped speaking when he felt a dark pulse radiate his body. He flinched when he noticed there was something around his neck. Of course…he never took off the flower necklace that Garon gave him.

"…What did you do to King Garon's gift?" Corrin asked darkly. "This never reacted to dark magic before…"

"Oh that trinket? It's simple. Before King Garon gave that present to you, I inserted my magic into it…just a little bit. King Garon's youngest did pick it out, but who is the one who had to inspect it first?"

Corrin hated this man more and more by the minute. He wondered if he could walk up to him and punch him while he was still talking.

"The trinket worked wonders. I was always able to watch you as long as you wore it. You only took it off when you took a bath."

Corrin felt a furious blush threaten to appear on his face. "…You really are disgusting…"

"I will take that as a compliment." Macbeth said in a mocking tone. "I was waiting for the opportunity to put you to sleep with it. The necklace isn't easily removed now that I activated it. Unless you break it, you're going to be under my control."

"Not going to happen…"

"Oh, it will happen, and you won't be the only one under my control. Your sister…Kamui, was it? Now that I know she is alive and well, I can easily lead her to me. She won't abandon you."

Of course she wouldn't. Corrin only knew Kamui for a short period of time, but Kamui was the stubborn type. If someone she cared for was in trouble, she would do anything to save them. Since Corrin was her younger twin, she would easily run into a trap with the hopes of getting him out.

"…She won't be fooled." Corrin snarled. "You don't know her well enough to know what's she's capable of."

"I don't need to. You're my hostage." Macbeth told him simply. "She can throw whatever tricks she has out the window if she wants to make sure you'll be in one piece."

"I will. You have no reason to marry a corpse…"

Corrin wanted to scare Macbeth. He wanted to show that there were faults in whatever he had planned, but Macbeth was overconfident as ever. His evil laugh echoed in the room as Corrin felt his body freeze.

"You might as well be one when I'm done with you." Macbeth hummed. He enjoyed seeing the horrified expression that befell the prince's face. "You should be aware of it by now. The Invisible Continent is failing. When the foolish kings of Hoshido and Nohr kill your father, the Invisible Continent will fall…however…as long as you and your sister are here…things can still work out."

"…You…don't want us to leave…"

"I know you want to go with that thief. You would be abandoning everything that made you who you are, but you can't handle the truth. You can't handle that I am not the one who murdered your mother."

Corrin shook his head. "Liar…you tricked Izana…he would never…"

"He did. He came up with the plan. He's as a great of a schemer as I am."

"No…"

"To soothe the people, you're going to have to marry me. Hoshido and Nohr's allegiance will only last until Valla has fallen. Once you marry me, you won't have to worry about Nohr invading Hoshido."

"Liar!" Corrin hissed. "Nohr will get more power and overwhelm Hoshido! It's always about power with you! You don't care about the people! You just want the position as king! I will never give you that position!"

"Rapunzel, you make it seem like you have a choice in the matter." Macbeth said with another laugh. "As the new King of Izumo and you and your sister by my side, I will be seen as the savior of the continent. There is nothing stopping me from achieving that goal once that thief and witch are out of the picture."

Macbeth knew he had to get rid of the seers from the Outer Continent. However, they did not have an influence on the people. They were foreigners with no power concerning their politics, and once Macbeth ascended the throne, there would be no way for them to get him off without causing problems for them. Corrin was more concerned about his sister though. If Macbeth was in power, he would make sure it would be possible for polygamy. Kamui obviously had no problem with the subject, but Corrin did for this particular reason. Macbeth would marry multiple people just to get them under his command and then abusing that trust in the near future.

"It's a shame you already made a pact with them." Macbeth continued forcing Corrin to return to reality from his train of thought. "I know from the trinket that you are still a virgin though."

The Izumo prince tried to take a step further from Macbeth again, but realized that he couldn't move. The necklace's pulsing was growing and it was holding him in place. He cursed under his breath at the negative energy flowing through him.

"I may have missed your sister growing up, but I blame your father for that." Macbeth started. "She is a thing of beauty, but her brutality ruins what makes her pure. I will not get as much out of her with how long she has had her pact."

"W-What does that have to do with…"

"But you though…I watched you grow up. Izana said you would grow up into a little monster, but he was wrong. His eyes are always closed, so he cannot see the perfection in front of me."

Corrin really didn't like that tone he used. He tried to move his arm, but he was still frozen in place. Cold sweat started to drip down his forehead as Macbeth continued his creepy confession.

"I will have you both. I need to tame your sister to be a perfect, obedient lady, but you will be there to teach her." Macbeth declared while licking his lips. "With you two by my side, I will rule the Invisible Continent."

"No…that won't happen…" Corrin mumbled. "Your gross fantasy isn't going to come true…"

"I already have you under my control. Watch…" Macbeth pointed to the trinket around Corrin's neck. This caused it to unleash more dark magic that caused Corrin to groan in pain. "Corrin, I command you to get on your knees and service me down here."

Corrin's eyes widened in horror at the request. "W-Who the hell would do that?!"

Macbeth smiled at the fear in Corrin's eyes. "I will say it again. I command you to suck my cock and drink my juices."

The dragon prince was horrified at how his body suddenly moved on its own. The dark magic proved too powerful for Corrin to overcome due to being exposed to it for too long. He gasped as his body positioned itself in front of Macbeth's crotch. He tried to move his hands, but as long as he wore that necklace, Macbeth would continue to control his body. He snarled, feeling his hand reach out and fumble with Macbeth's pants.

"Oh, a little eager I see? Here let me help you out."

Macbeth had no problem removing the bottom portion of his clothes at ease. Corrin was reacting badly to the sight before him.

"Like what you see?"

"No!"

"You don't have to lie. Just suck."

Corrin had no choice. He let out a pathetic cry as he slowly opened his mouth. Macbeth smiled in triumph knowing that the prince was unable to resist his demands. Now, he was free to do whatever he wanted to the Izumo prince. If he can get him under his complete control before the wedding, the easier it will be to get away with the deed.

Macbeth had a really hard time stopping people from eavesdropping on his actions. Crimson may have paid for it with her life, but Ava was able to escape without any dire consequences. Yet a different person was searching for Corrin inside of the pagoda alone. His retainers had told him not to get ahead of himself, but he cared for Corrin too much to think of a better plan. As a result, he casually walked through the pagoda. Soldiers of Izumo addressed him as Prince Leon and answered his question on where the important people (Macbeth, Corrin, Cloud and Bayonetta were). Leon was correct in expecting Corrin to be held up in one of the rooms and he did witness Cloud and Bayonetta get taken to the dungeon below the pagoda. He had followed Macbeth, but did not dare to open the door and get caught. He was strong, but Macbeth probably had a trap set up for anyone who tried to interfere. As a result, he heard the entire conversation of Macbeth's intentions. While Corrin was barking his own insults, they stopped once Macbeth gave the sexual orders. Now it changed to whimpering and begging for help on the other side.

Leon wanted to save Corrin right then and there. He had the tools necessary to do so. However he had no plan and it was against his nature to charge in without one. If the dark knight wanted to save the Izumo prince, he needed to return with a scheme that wouldn't get himself killed.

"…I'm sorry, Corrin. I can't help you at the moment. Please hold on until I figure something out…"

Leon quickly scurried away in shame. He needed to think of a plan fast if he wanted to get Corrin out of Macbeth's grasp.

* * *

Once Leon left the pagoda, he decided to head toward the place where Corrin used to live. Now that the prince was "on the run", he had no reason to return to where he had been raised all of his life. That meant it was easy to use the place to meet up with others. Mikoto's retainers were nowhere to be found after the death of the queen and the disappearance of her son. Leon heard they were recruited on the Hoshidan side upon hearing that Hoshido and Nohr were going to invade Valla, get rid of Anankos and retrieve the crowned prince of Izumo. Leon wished they stayed behind. It would be easier to talk to them what Macbeth was planning to do to the queen's son. They would surely listen to him even if the dark knight was from Nohr.

Leon needed time alone to think of a plan. He had issued Zero and Odin to meet up with him after they were done gathering intel on the situation of Izumo and the war. Once they were here, it would be much easier to make the plans and execute them.

 _Macbeth won't get away with this._ Leon thought darkly to himself as he recalled Corrin crying for help. _A man who tries to soil someone as pure as Corrin will regret the day they crossed me_.

How was he going to stop the marriage though? Macbeth probably already had plans of killing people who opposed him. If Izana was on his side (along with Christo), then how was he going to handle it? Leon was intelligent, but he knew brains wouldn't be enough to stop the marriage.

"Hey, aren't you the Prince of Nohr?"

Leon jumped at the sudden feminine voice that spoke to him. He wasn't pleased to hear that someone had the same idea of going to Corrin's house. If it was someone from the Nohrian side, then he wouldn't have a problem. However, the voice clearly belonged to someone from Hoshido due to the way she addressed him.

"And you must be the elder Princess of Hoshido." Leon retorted. "Shouldn't you be with the King of Hoshido? He has already left to attack Valla."

Hinoka was an odd princess to Leon. Compared to Ryoma who was hot-blooded and Takumi who was hard-headed, Hinoka was headstrong and rather understanding in comparison to his elder sister Camilla. She was willing to speak to people on the other side of Nohr if Corrin willed it. It didn't mean she would like it, but she would do anything for him.

"I could be asking you the same thing." Hinoka responded. "The King of Nohr has plans to team up with my father in order to bring this King of Valla down…"

"It's amazing how now we just learn about this." Leon muttered darkly. "It was probably Macbeth's fault for not telling us."

"…What?"

Leon glanced behind the redheaded princess and noticed that she was with her retainers Asama and Setsuna. They were rather quiet while Hinoka was talking even though the monk would have said something sarcastic when handling someone he didn't like.

"…It's none of your business." Leon hissed. He cursed to himself though at how he needed to stop acting aloof in a time of need. Corrin should be his number one priority. "…Wait…that's not what I wanted to say…"

"Excuse me?"

"…Are you willing to listen to what I have to say?" Leon asked. He had a hard time trying to change his demeanor when he was used to being so distant. Hinoka eyed him suspiciously wondering what he had to say.

"I do not trust him." Asama said simply.

"…I don't either." Hinoka admitted. "But I'll hear you out."

"…I would rather talk about it inside the house."

Hinoka nodded her head. She remained weary as she followed him inside, but insisted they stay at the entrance in case he had a trap laid out for them. She noticed that Leon's retainers were nowhere near him, so she didn't think he had anything malicious planned. Also, from a distance, she noticed that the Nohrian prince was paler than usual. Nohrians were known for their pale skin due to the condition of their country. However, Hinoka was still able to tell if something was disturbing them whether they were from Hoshido or Nohr.

"…So what did you want to talk about that you would need to indulge your secrets to me?" Hinoka asked suspiciously.

"…This topic concerns Corrin." Leon began. "I…we all care for the guy…even if he is a naïve idiot."

"He's far from being an idiot." Hinoka corrected. "What about Corrin?"

"Are you aware of what plans Macbeth has?"

"No. I'm not from Nohr." Hinoka answered sarcastically. "I just know he's bad news just from looking at him."

"You should still be aware of Macbeth's unhealthy obsession with Corrin." Leon told her darkly. "I would think you would have heard the rumors of Macbeth's plans to marry Corrin."

Hinoka was silent when he said this. She glanced over to Azama, who was known for gossiping about nonsensical things. Rumors were just rumors unless proven otherwise. Leon wasn't the type to lie though (even if she didn't trust him). Leon didn't like how Azama and Setuna followed them in, but he didn't like the idea of both of them being outside. He didn't trust them at all.

"Both the King of Hoshido and the King of Nohr are distracted by this new enemy in Valla. They have Ryoma and Marx going along with them and their retainers. I know Camilla volunteered to go with Marx, but why did you not go with Ryoma when prompted?"

Hinoka had a good reason for not going with Ryoma. She was concerned for Corrin's safety and wanted to check up on him. Takumi was the one that decided to take Hinoka's place and follow Ryoma to Valla.

"…I was worried for Corrin…"

"You have every reason to. Because all the people who would threaten Macbeth's life have gone off to Valla to get rid of the new threat. Macbeth is using the time he has to force Corrin to marry him before anyone can protest."

"W-What?! How do you know this?!"

"…I've been spying on Macbeth for a while. I never trusted him, and his interaction with Corrin proves it. It does not matter what Corrin thinks…by tonight, he and Corrin are to be married off in secret. Duke Izana approves of this."

Hinoka could not believe that Izana would allow such a thing to befall the queen's son. Izana and Mikoto were supposed to be friends! There must be a reason behind it. Leon could not tell Hinoka what he witnessed concerning Izana. Behind the childish smile was a wicked man who would kill anyone who opposed him.

"…What do you want me to do?" Hinoka asked the dark knight after she thought over the matter.

"You're a Pegasus Warrior, aren't you? You can easily catch up to the King of Hoshido and Prince Ryoma and tell him what happened. I cannot do the same thing. Macbeth still has Father wrapped around his finger and can justify his reasoning for marrying Corrin. If you can talk to your father about the situation here, I believe we can work things out in getting rid of Macbeth. We cannot allow him to take advantage of the situation."

"Princess Hinoka, are you sure about this?" Azama suddenly asked while the two were talking. "It could very well be a trap."

"Pardon?" Leon asked as his scowled widened. "I don't like being accused of working with a coward like Macbeth."

"Yet, you won't pursue your brother and speak to him about your findings."

"Tch, my horse doesn't cover as much ground as a Pegasus. Princess Hinoka, will you assist me or not? We don't have all day. Corrin will be married off to Macbeth by tonight."

Hinoka didn't have much of a choice. Corrin was important to her. Even if Mikoto had decided not to marry into the Hoshidan family, she would still treat the silver haired prince like a little brother.

"…I will accept the task. If it's true, I won't let Macbeth have his way with Corrin. I…we all know Corrin is not interested in a romantic relationship."

Leon was aware of that. It only annoyed him slightly. Because Corrin had witnessed how Sumeragi and Garon pursued his mother, he hated the idea of falling in love. He had vented about this on multiple occasions and assumed that love was just a hassle or for political gains. As a result, it left him close-minded. Leon wasn't exactly aware that Corrin had made a pact with Cloud and Bayonetta. This meant his mindset was set to change, but regardless, Macbeth was not the one for him.

"This sounds like a hassle." Asama brought up. "Just because you have the Pegasus doesn't mean we can follow you…unless you're willing to carry us both."

Hinoka glared at her retainer as a response. She still needed to think of a way for her retainers to come with her even if the simple solution was to simply let them stay behind while she went alone. That wouldn't really suit well for her retainers though.

"…But what will you do, Prince Leon?" Hinoka asked.

"I'm going to try and stop the wedding from happening." Leon answered. "No matter what, I won't let Macbeth have his way with Corrin. You may not trust the story, but at least believe that I won't let anything happen to Corrin. Just make sure you do your part."

"…I will."

Hinoka was one who would not break her promise, but this might be the first time she would. Without either of them realizing it, there was someone spying on them. It wouldn't be a surprise if it was Christo seeing as how the heavenly being could be in multiple places. He sighed overhearing what Hinoka intended to do and knew that she and her retainers would need to be silenced if he wanted his master's, plans to continue.

The Hoshidan princess left with her two retainers, leaving Leon alone to think of a plan again. It was easier said than done. He could not just barge into the wedding and shout that he objected to it. He needed backup, but there weren't enough soldiers that he could muster to be able to do so. An idea came in the back of his mind, but he shook his head.

"No way…would I really ask those two criminals that Corrin was with for help?" Leon asked himself. "That would be absurd. I wouldn't hear the end of it…"

"Hear the end of what, my prince?"

Leon jumped at the voice. To think there was someone else listening in on his thoughts like that. He sighed at the newcomer. At the very least, he didn't have to search for one of his retainers.

"Zero…don't sneak up on me like that." Leon growled. He wasn't all too pleased that his retainer was giving him the usual smirk. He would have been touchy-touchy if not for the fact he noticed that Leon looked rather restless. "Where is Odin?"

"Who knows?" Zero answered with a laugh. "I heard he was hanging out with his two friends. What were their names?"

"…Are you telling me that Lazward and Selena did not go to Valla?"

Zero's silence only gave Leon a headache. Those three were always suspicious. They were always together, but when something happened, they were nowhere to be found. If they weren't the best of the best in Nohr, they would have gotten in bigger trouble. At a time like this, Leon needed Odin and Zero to work with him. He had to make do with only Zero now though.

"…Forget it…Zero, I need you to do something for me."

"Oh?"

"I have a list of things I need you to do in a short amount of time. I expect you to pick up the slack for Odin. You can complain to Odin later for deciding to slack off at a time of need."

Zero frowned when Leon said that…not because he hated doing work for Leon, but because he noticed the blond prince was leaving himself wide open. Leon was good at not showing his emotions when it came to combat, but this situation was different. He was clearly worried about something. While it was easy to tease the Nohrian prince about his emotions, now was not the time.

"…I need you to look after Corrin and Elise for me…if something happens to me."

"Huh? Why are you talking like that, Prince Leon?"

"I'm just taking precautions for the worst case scenario." Leon admitted. "I don't intend to die on this mission I took, but I know if something happened to me, Elise will…" Leon shook his head. He really needed to stop thinking of the worst case scenario. He was just scared of something…Macbeth maybe? No…he was scared of Izana. What that man did to Flora was hints of his true nature. What would happen to Leon if he fought back against the marriage?

"This is an order, Zero, do you understand?"

"…Yes…of course." Zero answered quietly. What was Leon planning that might get him killed? The outlaw was going to find out very soon.

* * *

The demons did not know what to expect when they clashed with Shulk's sword. The Monado was not from this world. The demons were prepared to get rid of humans with ordinary weapons, but Shulk clearly showed why his presence on the Invisible Continent was unwanted.

The blade was covered in a black light that caused the demons to step back. When Shulk shouted "Monado Eater", the sword was thrusted into the demon that harmed Kamui. The demon let out a terrible cry seeing his blood ooze out of his chest. Shulk didn't just stab him once though. He slashed his arm in order to hack it off and get him to release Kamui from his grips. Nyx backed Shulk up when the other demons tried to attack him while he was focusing on the demon in front of him. Her thunder spell wasn't as effective, but it gave Shulk enough time to turn his attention to the other demons. Shulk only needed to kill one more demon before he incited fear into their hearts.

"Kamui, pick up your sword. We are leaving." Shulk ordered her.

The dragon princess was still dazed at what was happening in front of her. The reason Shulk gave the order was because Tiki had finished communicating with Pit quickly with what they needed to do. What Ava suggested ended up being the same thing Pit advised, and that was to keep a few demons alive in order to use them as a distraction to escape. Tiki hated this idea, but had no choice but to obey the heavenly being. If Kamui was in the right mind, she would have protested with leaving these innocent bystanders to the confused demons.

Ava went overkill with his magic in comparison to Nyx and set the path behind the group on fire. This would alert the humans of the hotel and would also distract the demons a little while longer. The group retreated from the hotel and allowed the soldiers who were still stationed in Izumo to see the chaos befalling them. Because the demons were a priority, the group was able to sneak away into the crowd and not look back.

"We should be safe here." Shulk said as they finally reached the leftmost side of Izumo away from the hotel. "Is everyone okay?"

"You were rather reckless." Nyx answered. "A knight should be more careful."

"I'm fine, Master Shulk!" Ava responded happily. "I hope you liked my spell."

"…When did you get a fire tome?" Tiki asked herself more than Ava even though the pink haired tactician heard her.

"Oh, I got one for free in Valla. All I had to do was ask."

"…Forget I asked then…"

Once Shulk got his answers from his main group, he checked up on Kamui who wasn't doing so well. She clutched her Yatogami tightly as she stared off into the distance. Shulk assumed she was looking at the pagoda that could still be seen from where they escaped to.

"Kamui, are you okay?" Shulk questioned her. "You're alright now. Those demons aren't going to chase after you."

The dragon princess shook her head. "…What should I do?"

"Hmm?"

"My brother and my father are in danger! I don't know what to do!"

"Kamui, calm down."

"Shulk, how do you expect me to calm down? Corrin is in the hands of that creepy man and my father is in danger of being murdered by the leaders of Hoshido and Nohr! I should have just stayed behind to defend Valla, but of course I got tricked by that stupid maid into leaving my post! I trusted Flora because she was Felicia's sister and look what happened! I don't have either of my retainers, Azura or Volga with me! I have no way of returning to Valla fast enough and I can't return when my brother and his friends are at that bastard's mercy!"

"Kamui, please calm down." Tiki spoke softly. Compared to Shulk who was simply telling her to calm down, the green haired dragon at least attempted to show that she was concerned. She approached her and placed her hand on Kamui's shoulder. Kamui was far from pleased.

"Now I know why there were so few soldiers in the pagoda…" The silver haired princess muttered. "They're already heading to Valla to kill my father…and I have no way of warning him or anyone there that they are close to finding Valla. I…I doomed my kingdom…"

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Kamui was good at holding them back no matter what, but the realization that her rashness was going to cost the lives of the people she loved caused her to let her emotions get the best of her. Tiki would have given the red eyed princess an awkward hug, but Shulk wasn't exactly empathizing with Kamui at the moment.

"…There isn't much you can do about your father." Shulk stated rather coldly. "The only thing you can do is save your brother and leave this place."

Kamui shook her head in disbelief. "How could you say that?! How could you tell me to abandon my father and everyone I love to go with you?! I don't even know you!"

"But if you stay…you and Corrin will perish…" Shulk reminded her. "As a Knight and Seer of Plegia, it is my duty to rescue you two from this continent and bring you to see the Prince and Princess of Plegia."

"…You are being insensitive at the moment, Shulk." Tiki interrupted to Shulk's annoyance.

"My visions don't fail me though…" The seer answered truthfully. "Kamui should prioritize her life and her brother's over everyone else's."

Kamui glared at him as a response. Shulk flinched seeing the angry tears in her eyes. "…I love my family…and Azura means the world to me. I can't live without Azura…"

"Oh…"

"Shulk, do you have a person you can't live without? Azura is everything to me. If I lose her, I have no reason to continue living…"

Shulk would have answered her immediately, but her words shook him. Yes, there was someone that meant everything to the Monado boy. It was the only reason he wanted to get through this mission in the first place. That special person was waiting for him in Plegia. The blond sighed, thinking how he wasted so much time away from home that he just wanted to get things over with. Ava was with him specifically to keep Robin updated on what was going on. The pink haired tactician insisted that Robin was okay and nothing bad was going on while he was away. It didn't change how paranoid Shulk was for Robin's safety. Still…

"I do." Shulk confessed to her surprise. "I care for Prince Robin…as his dedicated knight and seer. He gave me the task to find the Prince and Princess of the Invisible Continent and return to Plegia. I do not see a bright future for this continent, which is why I have been suggesting that you and Corrin need to leave the continent with me."

"But what about everyone else?! Why just us?! I won't leave without Azura…or Volga! If I can't save my father, then let me save them!"

"Yes, but…"

"And Corrin won't leave without Cloud and Bayonetta either! You got to get them out of this hell too! You can't just pick two people and leave everyone else!"

Shulk sighed in defeat. There was no point in arguing. Kamui made it clear she would not leave without Azura and Volga specifically even if she wanted to save everyone. From his short interactions with Corrin, the same would apply with Cloud and Bayonetta. The blond wasn't aware of Flora's fate, so he assumed she would be on the list…but then that would mean adding Kamui's servants as well…and of course Tifa and Barret.

 _This is so troublesome._ Shulk thought to himself. _I only needed to save two people…but if I have to save a whole group…I hope Tink has enough room on that ship for everyone._

"Shulk?" Tiki called out to him worried that he would just ignore Kamui's words and continue lecturing her of her role outside of the Invisible Continent.

"…Fine." Shulk finally said, causing Kamui to sigh in relief. "I will help save Corrin, Bayonetta and Cloud. If we have time, we will try and save Azura and everyone in Valla. You might have to accept though that it will be impossible to save your father if you save your brother."

"…I know. I…am prepared for that." Kamui admitted. "Just…tell me what I need to do and where do I need to go to find them! Are they still in the pagoda?"

"They should be." Ava suddenly spoke. "I mean…why wouldn't they be? There's a dungeon below the pagoda for bad people. There are a lot of rooms for special guests. The higher the floor…the more complicated the rooms are. Like the doors that are locked from the outside to keep people in…"

Kamui wiped her tears. She had wasted enough time feeling sorry for herself. Now she needed to save the people that mattered to her and her brother.

"Okay…the pagoda…that's where we'll go to save them."

Shulk grumbled at the idea of having to go back to the pagoda. There were probably still guards waiting for Kamui to return should she survive her encounter with those demons. It mattered not though. Shulk needed to prevent that terrible vision that would befall the trio if he did nothing. The blond was known for never allowing visions like these to come true save for the visions that happened in two far away locations that he couldn't dream of being able to reach unless he was the fastest thing alive.

 _Still…I guess Cloud and Bayonetta will have their use if I do save them. Okay…Robin…please wait for me a little while longer while I do this detour. It won't be long._

* * *

Bayonetta sighed hearing Cloud fight against the cell bars of the prison. Cloud had been restless ever since their capture. Cloud's buster sword was taken away from him and the handguns that Bayonetta had were shattered in front of her after being thrown into the cell. The enemies obviously had no intentions of allowing them to use their weapons to escape. Cloud insisted that he would get out and kill them all, but so far…he hadn't been successful with trying to leave his prison. Cloud wasn't a super human by any means, so he had no way of getting out. All he did was waste his energy and annoy the Umbra Witch greatly. Eventually, she heard him kick the cell causing him to growl at the sudden pain in his foot.

"You look like a monkey fighting back in his cage." Bayonetta murmured darkly. "Conserve your strength."

"We don't have time to sit here." Cloud reminded her. "Corrin's life is in danger."

"I'm aware of that…but it's better to sit down and think than waste your energy trying to break down these bars. No normal human will break them."

"What about you then?"

Bayonetta shook her head. "I don't have the magic to do anything about it."

Cloud didn't believe her one bit. If Bayonetta wasn't so scared of the consequences, she would have summoned Madama Butterfly to handle this situation. She wasn't and they were going to be stuck here until they could come up with a plan to get out.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for them, an opening was going to present itself. However, it meant having to deal with the captors. Bayonetta gasped seeing what that jester did to his appearance.

Three people came down to the cell and they had taken more prisoners. Christo was serious when he said he was going to handle Hinoka and her retainers. As a heavenly being, a normal human didn't stand a chance against him. Granted, all he had to do was take the Hoshidan princess hostage and they would have to surrender, but at the same time, Christo brought along Gantz and Zora.

Before Zora decided to enter the dungeon, he decided to play mind games with the Umbra Witch again. Once he learned who the inquisitor of Bayonetta's past was, he had practice changing into him until he was certain that he got his appearance, voice and personality down. Deep down, it was still the cowardly clown who would flee for his life, but he wanted to see if the Umbra Witch would fall for it.

Bayonetta could still tell it was Zora in the sense that he could never give off the same malicious aura that Totopepe did. Yet her knowledge wouldn't stop her body from trembling at the appearance of the man walking down the stairs.

"Of course the jester would try to scare me…" Bayonetta muttered to herself as she ended up hiding in the darkness of the cell. "…Better not draw attention to myself..."

Meanwhile, Cloud was surprised that Hinoka would be captured. Christo had wrapped them up in the angelic rings. The turquoise haired angel only threw Hinoka into a nearby cell. Gantz wanted the retainers to remain outside for his plan. Christo did not want to be around any longer and dismissed himself. He glared at Cloud who returned the same angry expression when he left everyone alone with the Nohrian soldiers.

"You bastards, what are you planning?" Hinoka hissed as she easily broke away from the angel bindings after Christo left. "You cannot expect to keep me here forever without anyone noticing."

"Rest assure, princess, we have no intention of harming you. We need you to remain here until our plans are complete." Gantz explained to her. "However, we can't say the same for Prince Leon. That boy needs to be punished…but Macbeth will handle him when the time comes."

"Totopepe" laughed though as he walked further down in the prison to get something at the end of it. In the pagoda, all the torture weapons were at the end of the prison. Bayonetta was aware of this slightly and hated how she was thrown in the prison closest to said weapons as if to remind her of the horrors of her past. The torture weapons varied from nails to iron maidens and a lot of rope based tortures that could be performed right in front of Bayonetta's cell specifically.

"The same can't be said for your retainers." "Totopepe" added to Gantz's statement. "We need to make sure you don't say a word about our deeds. And we need the witch to speak up."

Bayonetta's silence gave away that she would not cooperate with these men. This was how it should have been. The Umbra Witch would not go down without a fight…even if they would start breaking her slowly but surely with how Zora wanted her to relive with the nightmare. The difference was the people who were about to be tortured were people she didn't even know. The jester was going to see if the Umbra Witch would be affected though. Even if he was not Totopepe, by channeling the dark magic in an attempt to mimic him, he could see what a vile man he was. Zora was actually rather scared of impersonating him. If he wanted to get information out of Bayonetta, he would have to reenact the violence that happened to her friends.

"I do not see how our deaths will affect her." Azama spoke up with his witty tone. While Setuna remained aloof and kept quiet, Azama was expecting something unexpected to happen. However, that didn't seem to be the case. "This is only our second encounter."

Bayonetta had to remember that Azama performed a fake exorcism on her, and all that did was agitate her. The Umbra Witch could tell he was trying to talk his way out of being killed, but it wasn't going to work. If Zora wanted to have the same effect as Totopepe, he would have to murder Hinoka's retainers to demonstrate how serious he was with threatening the raven haired witch. Despite his hands shaking, "Totopepe" brought out the rack.

"I hope you know what this is." The crazed inquisitor started as he expected Azama to go down rather easily. Gantz held onto Setsuna who he saw as a bigger threat. She was an archer though, so without her bow, she was pretty weak. Azama was a healer and despite his nasty tongue, he wasn't that strong either. No amount of wit was going to help him against "Totopepe's" intended torture.

The last thing Bayonetta wanted to happen was to be reminded of what happened to her friends in the past. Azama's torture would cause her to regress back to what happened to Selene. Azama's torture was the exact same thing as the Moon Witch's and that obviously killed her.

* * *

 _Bayonetta could be seen banging against the bars of her prison begging Totopepe not to kill Selene. Words did not reach the evil man though. He showed no mercy when he tortured Sabina to death. The poor girl screamed for help as she was stabbed repeatedly before he decided to cut a hole through her stomach. Sabina bled to her death and there was nothing the other witches could do to save her life. To add insult to injury, Totopepe had shoved garbage and candy down the hole that he had cut open in Sabina's stomach and let her corpse rot to the point that bugs and rats would start to appear and start messing with said corpse. Bayonetta did not want a repeat with Selene but Totopepe had every intention of making her suffer._

" _Please! Don't do anything to Selene!" Bayonetta cried as she felt the tears fall down her eyes. "I'll do anything! I'll take her place! Please, don't kill her!"_

 _Totopepe laughed at all the begging Bayone_ _tta was doing. Metallia found it rather pathetic that the raven haired witch was brought to this state. Whatever happened to not giving the enemy what he wanted?_

" _Your begging is music to my ears, Cereza." Totopepe responded as he finished tying Selene up on the rack. "Maybe if you continued begging me like that, then maybe I'll consider sparing her. I'm sure Selene would love that."_

 _Selene wouldn't be able to talk though. Totopepe had forced a cloth down her mouth, so she wouldn't be able to speak. The girl was in tears from Totopepe's treatment of her. He had yanked her out of the cell that she was sharing with Bayonetta and had her clothes torn to the point that her private parts were exposed. She screamed at the sudden brutality that she was facing and tried to run away. Totopepe was too strong for her and simply grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her away. Totopepe had brought the rack out and threw her onto it. He tied her hands to one roller and her ankles on the other. If he were to rotate the lever, he could easily dislocate her joints…but if he kept going beyond that…_

" _You monster! You better stop right there before I get my power back and soak you in my swamp!" Metallia hissed. "You think you're going to get away with this?"_

" _Unless Cereza summons her demon, there is no way you're going to save her."_

 _Selene gave Bayonetta a pleading look when he said this. The raven haired witch should have summoned Madama Butterfly. Totopepe was provoking her to do so…but there was no way she could do it. What if she made the situation worse?_

" _You don't have all the time in the world, Cereza. If you're going to sit there and beg me to spare her, you're going to be sorely disappointed."_

 _Selene saw the desperate look the taller witch had. She closed her eyes realizing that Bayonetta would never be able to get over the fear of Madama Butterfly turning on her. It was then did Totopepe started turning the lever and causing her limbs to slowly stretch._ _Eventually, a popping sound could be heard that caused Selene to scream into the cloth that was in her mouth from the immense pain. Metallia roared as she banged on her cell. She cursed the man in front of her and demanded that he stop. Totopepe ignored Metallia and focused on Bayonetta. She was falling into absolute despair, and he enjoyed every minute of it. He was so focused_ _on Bayonetta though, that he failed to see that Selene's body glowed an odd color. It didn't mean much to him though as she would be ripped apart by the rack…_

* * *

Bayonetta gasped hearing Setsuna scream at what occurred in front of her. Zora didn't waste any time killing Azama in the same way Selene was killed. He didn't bother with the slow, painful death. He apparently murdered him quickly. The Umbra Witch was rather glad she zoned out. She didn't need to see a repeated incident. However…she wondered why she was able to shut her mind down.

"AZAMA!" Hinoka screamed seeing her long time retainer on the floor in a pool of his own blood. "YOU BASTARD!"

"This is only the beginning." "Totopepe" proclaimed as he turned his attention to Setsuna. Her cool expression was no longer plastered on her face. Fear did in fact show on her usually ditzy face. Gantz wasn't going to allow her to leave.

"We aren't letting you leave." Gantz told her. "You are an example like that monk."

"You…you!" She hissed.

Hinoka ordered Setsuna to just abandon her and flee. "Totopepe" went for the next torture device that was again the same one that was used to murder one of her friends. This time, the tool had taken the life of Metallia…

* * *

 _Metallia's death wasn't any better than the previous witches. Totopepe said he wanted to save the best for last. He had no intention of_ _killing Bayonetta in comparison. He only needed one hostage. Metallia desperately tried to fight back against her captor, but she had lost too much magic at this point. All the kicking and screaming accumulated to nothing when she was the next one on the chopping block._

 _Bayonetta didn't know what to think concerning Metallia. After Selene's death, Metallia finally broke down in tears and blamed everything on the raven haired witch. Bayonetta didn't even have the strength to tell Metallia that all of this could have been avoided if she wasn't jealous of her. However, the taller witch clearly believed that everything was her fault. She accepted the blame and begged for Jeanne to come save them. Totopepe made things worse between them by showing the favoritism. Bayonetta was willing to die if it meant the suffering would stop. He wasn't going to let her starve though. Compared to the friends he killed, he treated her better. She resented the man who treated her like a doll. When she failed to eat, he would have no problem force feeding her edible food. Even if she tried to spit it out, he would threaten her with something worse. The last thing Bayonetta wanted was to end up on the man's bed and receiving his seed as "nutrients". He had made sure she ate her food in front of_ _him too just so she wouldn't be able to help her rival out._

 _Metallia was hostile toward Bayonetta to the bitter end. She refused to plead for the taller witch to summon Madama Butterfly to get them out. Metallia couldn't even summon the Hundred Knight to protect her._

 _The Swamp witch was forced to rest her chin underneath a bar and an uppermetal cap was forced on her head. Totopepe made sure to clear the way so the only one who could see the murder was Bayonetta sitting there in silence._

" _Oh, before I forget, Metallia…" Totopepe began as he reached into his bag and took out a bloody dog collar. Metallia's eyes widened in horror at the implication. "I'm sure you're aware of what this is."_

"… _What did you do to Visco?!" Metallia snarled as she tried to move her head but the device she was stuck to prevented her from moving._

" _You know what we do to traitors…so this shouldn't be a surprise." Totopepe said with a laugh. "It's already bad enough that she was cursed to look like a mutt, but now that we know that an inquisitor befriended a witch, we simply could not let that slide." Totopepe saw the expression Metallia made and laughed. "It was enjoyable to see the look on her face when she found out that we knew of her plan to free you and that little slut over there."_

" _No…"_

" _I was told I could do whatever I wanted to the traitorous daughter of that man of the Nohrian Court. She screamed for anyone to listen to her side of the story and cried for you, Metallia. No one could help her. Her death, was slow and painful, but I loved it."_

" _Visco! No!"_

 _If Metallia had any sort of magic left, Totopepe would have died. Instead, she could only weakly struggle with the bonds she was in as the serial murderer prepared to finish her off._

" _Don't worry. You'll be joining her in Inferno very soon. There is a special place in Inferno for lesbians like you."_

 _The accusation only caused Metallia to snarl as the inquisitor started turning the screw. The goal of this torture device was to compress the head until the brain was squished._

 _Bayonetta's vision started to give out on her again as she saw her rival's teeth smashed. Totopepe laughed at Metallia's pain and Bayonetta's absolute silence of the scene before her. Bloody tears fell from the Swamp Witch's eyes. The inquisitor stopped after the teeth were getting absorbed into her jaws. He had to remind her how he could continue to interrogate her like this like a normal inquisitor, but Metallia could no longer speak correctly with how he was handling her._

" _Cereza, why the silence?" He asked with an evil laugh. "Isn't it great that your greatest enemy is dying before your eyes?"_

 _Bayonetta probably shook her head when he asked her the question. Totopepe roared as he continued. After the teeth was the eyeballs, and once the eyeballs were squished, it would be the brain that would be the moment when she was dead. Until then, Metallia would wallow in so much pain and agony. Totopepe made sure she suffered until the moment she died. At this point of time, Bayonetta had stopped crying. Her expression was rather emotionless as the blood from Metallia poured out of her head and into the cell…_

* * *

Bayonetta was brought back to the present time after hearing her name being called. Hinoka's screaming could be heard as she cursed at "Totopepe" for murdering Setsuna. Zora and Gantz enjoyed watching the strong Hoshidan princess break in front of them. She was the odd sibling out in Hoshido. She had retainers who needed to be rescued and protected despite her royal status that required them to protect her. Now that they were dead, Hinoka failed her role as their protector in a sense. The rage overcame her as she uncharacteristically announced she would kill them. Angry tears dripped down her eyes. "Totopepe's" attention was turned toward the Umbra Witch who remained quiet during the gruesome torture session.

"Why so quiet, Cereza?" "Totopepe" asked her as he approached her cell. "You'll be the next one I have fun with."

Bayonetta's mind drew a blank seeing the sadistic look in his eyes. She needed to remind herself that this was the pathetic Zora and not the man from eighteen years ago. If she could just summon Madama Butterfly, then he would be dead again…

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Cloud snapped as he slammed his fists into the bar as hard as he could. He flinched at how futile it was to do that, but he got Zora's attention. "Mark my words, if you lay a finger on her, I will make sure you have a slow and painful death, you clown!"

The impostor jumped at the threat. Gantz rolled his eyes, knowing Cloud's words held no weight. Zora clearly didn't see that. The jester underneath the killer was shaking in his boots. Cloud spared him when he could have very well ended his life. Macbeth and Izana were right to assume that Bayonetta was important to Cloud, but not to this extent. Cloud looked ready to break the bars if things kept going. Zora only wanted to scare Bayonetta enough to where she would spill the information and tell them where the important goods were. He wasn't going to get it now if he was chickening out.

"You're worthless." Gantz told "Totopepe" with a laugh as he noticed the man turn his attention away from the Umbra Witch. "I guess we'll have to try again later. Everyone is screaming and it's starting to hurt my ears."

"…Tch…you got lucky, Cereza," The "inquisitor" told her. "I'll be back though, and all your little secrets will be laid out in front of the table if you have any sort of dignity left in you."

Bayonetta could care less at what the man had to say. The memories rushing to her knocked the wind out of her and prevented her from even focusing. She just…wanted to go to sleep…and hope the memories would stop coming to her. When she closed her eyes, she failed to hear Cloud calling out to her. He would have to wait a while for her to respond. Sleep was more important…

* * *

 _Bayonetta's vision was blurry again. Her memories were even more jumbled up than before. She would blame whatever drug Totopepe gave her in preparation of the moment he was preparing for. He dubbed it the "Day Cereza Became a Real Woman". She was too tired to care about the sick title he was calling the day he would attempt to rape her. He had fun playing with her, but making sure to never go overboard until it was time. He was intentionally biding his time due to expecting an Umbra Witch to come in and ruin his fun. He waited weeks after killing off Metallia to see if anyone was coming, but once he was certain no one was coming for the half-breed, Totopepe made his intentions clear._

" _You should give up right about now." Totopepe mocked as he approached her in the new cell where he would commit the crime. He had enough fun leaving her in the cell that was near the bodies of her dead friends. If he wanted a clean area, he would need to move her to another cell with some light for him to see. Once the drug took effect and knocked her out, he had chained her wrists up high and forced her_ _to be near the wall. She wouldn't be able to do a surprise attack in this case. Totopepe always feared retaliation from the Umbra Witch even if he had broken her at this point._

"… _I…won't…"_

 _That was what Bayonetta wanted to believe. Bayonetta believed in Jeanne so strongly. She had too. If she didn't, she would lose her sanity and let the evil man do what he wanted._

" _Your precious Jeanne isn't coming to save you." Totopepe said as he snickered evilly. "She would have saved you before I started killing your friends one by one. She has forgotten you at this_ _point."_

" _Lies…Jeanne will come…she wouldn't abandon an Umbran Sister…"_

" _Either your friend didn't care for you…or she did and she died before she could even reach you. Either way, just give up. It will make this process as painless as possible."_

 _Totopepe licked his lips when he noticed in the dim cell that there was a teardrop threatening to fall from his captive's eyes. Just a little bit more and he would be able to get her to submit to him…_

"… _If that really is the case…I would rather die like my Umbran Sisters than be your slave…" She mumbled weakly to her captor._

" _It wouldn't be too hard to escape from me though. All you got to do is summon Madama Butterfly and kill me…but you won't do that. You like being held in captivity waiting for your girl to save you…even though you look pathetic doing it."_

 _Bayonetta faintly glared at him as a response. She was too weak to summon Madama Butterfly. She was depraved of food and water, the drug injected into her had drained her magic completely and the collar prevented her from regaining any magic. If only she was a stronger witch, then she could create a miracle by herself…but it was impossible._

" _If you won't run away, I'm going to fulfill Metallia's wish. I love how we both think alike concerning you."_

 _The raven haired witch was still in denial that Metallia wrote those horrible things about her. Metallia wasn't that spiteful, was she?_

"… _I am turned on at the idea that despite your magnificent body, you haven't given yourself up to anyone. No one can resist this gorgeous figure."_

 _She let out a pathetic whine as he reached out to pinch her nipples. Her body was sensitive now because of the drug, so she was at the mercy of his touch._

" _I spared you because you are the definition of perfection. You hid your beauty behind the veil, but without it, you are a sight to behold."_

 _How many times was he going to talk about how beautiful she was? Hearing it from him, it sounded like an insult. She flinched feeling Totopepe position himself so he's behind the Umbra Witch in order to grope her breasts. Her eyes widened at his cock rubbing against her naked flesh._

" _You don't look like a child nor are you underdeveloped here. You're a full-fledged woman ready to accept my cock."_

 _The Umbra Witch unintentionally shook her head. Totopepe laughed as he left one hand on her breast and used the other one to force her to look his way._

" _Will you let me kiss you again?" He requested in a mocking tone. "You were so into it the last time that I had a hard time believing it was your first kiss."_

 _She tried to look away from him, but there was no point in fighting back. Bayonetta was forced to endure whatever humiliation he had for her. Compared to the last few kisses where she fought back and bit his tongue (and got slapped across the cheek a few times as a result), she slowly opened her mouth so he wouldn't have to resort to violence to get her to open up. Another pathetic whine escaped her lips as his tongue violated her mouth. She wanted to throw up feeling his tongue wrap around her own. Her body just wouldn't react the way she wanted. Totopepe's hands trailed down from her breast to her pussy again._

" _Come on now, my darling Cereza, why don't you surrender to me and I'll give you pleasure beyond your wildest dreams." He suggested when he broke the kiss._

 _Bayonetta weakly shook her head again as a response. A moan escaped her lips when she felt Totopepe trying to insert his fingers inside of her._

" _When all's said and done, your tribe is done and there will be no more witches…but you're different. If you surrender, I will make sure that you will live as my slave. Your body was meant for this."_

" _Ahh…s-stop…"_

" _You can't hide from your desire Cereza. You want it. You need it, and I'm the only one who can give you what I need."_

 _Bayonetta recalled how she almost surrendered to him in that moment. He stopped playing with her and had every intention to leave her in this horny state. This was the last straw to her sanity. Tears threaten to fall down her eyes again when she realized how she was going to disappoint everyone in the end. She couldn't escape on her own, and she would rather become this man's whore over being burned at the stake like most of the other witches._

" _So, what do you say?"_

" _I...I…"_

 _A miracle occurred in that moment. God had answered her prayers and reminded her that praying for Jeanne to save her was not a waste of time. The white haired witch would come through to Totopepe's horror. Jeanne should have been killed by Belda. Belda bragged how she had the ultimate trap set up for Jeanne and the other witches who wanted to save Bayonetta's group. Bayonetta would realize that while the other witches lost their lives, Jeanne refused to die until she knew her friends were safe. Jeanne was infuriated when she learned that Totopepe killed them off one by one in a gruesome manner, leaving only Bayonetta left. Belda laughed how Jeanne's death would be the end of her childhood friend. Jeanne did not hesitate to kill a former colleague if it meant protecting Bayonetta from these psychopaths._

" _Sorry I'm late, Cereza." Jeanne told her nonchalantly. "I had a lot of trash to take out."_

" _J-Jeanne…you came for me…"_

 _Totopepe immediately jumped away from the raven haired witch, realizing how screwed he was in the situation. "W-What?! Why are you here?! Why aren't you dead with the rest of them?!"_

" _I'm the new head of the Umbran Clan. You think I would die so easily to a traitorous wretch?" Jeanne asked darkly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm taking back my Umbran Sister."_

 _Bayonetta should have been happy at that moment. She was even if she learned that Jeanne had murdered everyone that was in that church just to get to her. She didn't care. Totopepe would be slaughtered like the rest of them. Jeanne would make sure he was miserable even in hell._

 _However, Bayonetta's memories were still fuzzy. She should have recalled Totopepe's last moments, but instead, her memories skip to another tragedy. The moment of Jeanne's death was too painful for her. Jeanne was helping her escape the hell that was her prison underneath the church. Unfortunately, someone was following them. She didn't know who it was. All she knew was that the attack was meant for her. Jeanne stepped in and took the fatal blow for Bayonetta. Jeanne tried to attack whoever hit her from the shadows, but the figure disappeared. When she realized it was pointless to pursue the attacker, she continued to lead Bayonetta away from Nohr and back into the forest. Unfortunately, there were still soldiers lurking around and it wouldn't be long before they got surrounded. The situation went from bad to worse. Bayonetta remembered Jeanne laughing softly to herself about the predicament they were in._

"… _This…reminds me of the time we were kids…" She began as she issued Bayonetta to get behind her. "You ran off without supervision and I had to come get you. We were attacked by a big, scary monster and the older witches had to save us…but even though you got scolded for not being able to fight…"_

" _J-Jeanne…don't talk. I-I'll handle this."_

"… _As the leader of the Umbra Witches, it is my duty…to protect you…the bearer of the Left Eye."_

" _Jeanne…please…you have to preserve your strength."_

 _Jeanne was starting to use her powers again against the small army that was meant to kill her and recapture Bayonetta. They really wanted the raven haired witch to themselves. Why would they keep her alive for so long and slaughter everyone else? Bayonetta's mind blurred again, but an image of Madama Butterfly came to mind when Jeanne was pushed into a corner after being impaled multiple times by the soldiers. Blood and guts scattered everywhere when the powerful demoness came into the picture. Someone was still screaming…Bayonetta would realize that was her voice crying for Jeanne to stay alive._

 _The images of her mind would skip again. Bayonetta tried to drag Jeanne's body away from the church. They were in the forest that was being burned down for the sole sake of pursuing the two witches. Bayonetta refused to leave her friend behind, but at this point, they would both be caught. Besides…_

" _Wake up, Jeanne! You're going to be late to meeting everyone else!" Bayonetta cried as she shook her friend's body. Her efforts would be in vain. Jeanne had already succumbed to her injuries making sure that there was a clear path for Bayonetta to escape. The raven haired witch refused to be her friend was dead. Even if Jeanne's body fell limp after Bayonetta stumbled over from trying to get the body to move, Bayonetta continued to call out to her friend. Broken tears started falling down her eyes without her realizing it. "Jeanne…please…wake up…don't leave me alone."_

 _Jeanne did not open her eyes no matter how much Bayonetta pleaded for her friend to come back to her. It was a miracle how Bayonetta was still able to function after she witnessed her friend die in front of her. If only she was stronger and summoned Madama Butterfly sooner, Jeanne and everyone else would still be alive. She fell to her knees and cuddled her friend's dead body. The blood from her friend smeared onto her naked body._

" _Jeanne…no…don't leave me…without you…I'm nothing…"_

 _Bayonetta flinched when she heard footsteps approaching. She weakly looked in the direction where the soldiers were coming from. She needed to leave or she would be captured again. That meant abandoning her friend's corpse and escaping into the forest despite the forest fire that would make escaping through_ _it more difficult. Bayonetta did not have the strength to carry Jeanne. This proved she was useless to Jeanne_ _even when her friend passed on. She sobbed in frustration as she forced herself to stand. A true witch would stick and fight until the end…but Bayonetta was a pathetic woman that had to retreat and abandon everything just to survive._

 _The Umbra Witch took shelter in the secret hideout that belonged to her and Jeanne. All she needed to do was morph into a serpent and swim toward the hidden cave that allowed her to wait it out. No one was able to find her once she made it to the hideout. This angered the soldiers greatly who lost the greatest catch of all time. As if Bayonetta cared_ _about how they felt. Her concern was what the other witches would think of her. Here she was, hiding in the hideout, bawling her eyes out while everyone else was getting slaughtered._

 _Because Bayonetta hid in the darkness, the other witches would be slaughtered. She did not know how long it took for the entire Umbra Witch clan to be wiped out. All she knew was, she was the last surviving witch and that is only because she did not stand her ground and fight…_

* * *

Bayonetta let out a pathetic cry as she awoke from her slumber. How long was she asleep? Why did she fall asleep at a time like this? She seemed to be falling asleep often.

"Bayonetta, come on! Wake up! Cereza!"

The Umbra Witch heard someone call her name. There were only two people other than her in this prison, and only one who knew her real name.

"…Cloud?"

Cloud let out a sigh of relief to see that she was awake. He wanted to go over and comfort her, but the cell bars separated them.

"…I was starting to get worried." Cloud told her softly seeing as how she was still shaken from her nightmare. "…You were crying again…"

Bayonetta refused to believe that a nightmare brought her to tears again. She had told herself that tears were for the weak, but her nightmares always reminded her that she was still the same girl that couldn't save any of her friends or family many years ago. Cloud had witnessed her cry a few times when they shared a room together during their missions. She had made him swear to never bring up her nightmares again, and the blond was willing to listen to her. Now, she was having the nightmares again and showing weakness in enemy territory.

"…I'm not crying…" Bayonetta murmured to herself. "It's just your imagination again…"

"…You were also crying out for Jeanne again…" Cloud added, knowing full well she didn't want to hear that.

She didn't say a word after Jeanne's name was mentioned. Cloud thought he angered her, but Bayonetta decided to not waste her time "crying" and instead looked around to see if the situation outside changed. From the looks of things, there were no guards watching them, and no one bothered to clean up the corpses that were left in the other cells. Bayonetta could hear someone snoring softly. Despite her retainers being brutally murdered in front of her, Hinoka still ended up falling asleep. The stress must have been too much for her.

"…Where did that monster go?" Bayonetta asked.

"Monster?"

"The jester who thinks it's amusing to impersonate that inquisitor. Is he still here or is he planning to kill that Hoshidan princess or me next?"

Cloud didn't like the tone she was using. "…Are you giving up?"

"…"

"You shouldn't give up. I know you're not the type to give up."

Bayonetta remained silent to his words. Cloud sighed knowing that Bayonetta would never admit she was on the verge of surrendering to her fate. Izana knew that Bayonetta couldn't think straight if someone impersonated Totopepe. Even if she knew it was dark magic and still the same cowardly clown who ran away at the sight of danger, the sight of the inquisitor really did make her lose her mind.

"…You know I'm not giving up. I've come too far just to die down here."

"…"

"I'll get us both out…and the princess. I don't know why she would even be arrested, but we can't leave her to rot with her dead retainers."

Cloud hadn't spent this time sitting around and thinking about what would happen to them if they continued to be stuck here. He did look around after Zora and Gantz left to see if there was anything he could find to break the cell. Most of the items he could potentially use were too far for him to reach. He waited for Bayonetta to wake up, so he could ask her to use her powers to reach for a weapon that was hanging on the wall. The cell bars weren't as powerful as Izana wanted them to be. Zora kept taunting Bayonetta how she could easily summon Madama Butterfly to destroy them, but she continued to hesitate.

"I need your help getting us all out though…" Cloud continued. "Do you still have magic inside of you?"

"…A little…that stupid angel was kind enough not to drain all my magic out." Bayonetta responded. "…I wouldn't mind a recharge."

Cloud sighed when she said that. He wouldn't be able to help her on that one if they're in separate cells. She knew that she wouldn't get that from him but brought it up anyway.

"…So you can summon Madama Butterfly."

"…I can…but she might kill me afterward."

"I won't let her."

"…She's one of the most powerful demons in Inferno. You won't last long."

"You would be surprised."

Bayonetta shook her head. "I won't summon her, Cloud…"

How was Cloud going to convince Bayonetta to take the risk and summon Madama Butterfly? They needed to leave before they got killed. They also needed to save Corrin from Macbeth's clutches before he got married off. Yet before he could try and convince Bayonetta to care about the situation they were in, footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Cloud cursed to himself how they came back too fast for his liking. Bayonetta was rather quick to sink further into the darkness of her cell hoping those people don't turn their attention to her.

"It's gotten rather quiet down here, I see." They could hear Zora taunt in Totopepe's voice. "Have the survivors down here learned their place?"

"Get it over with." Gantz warned the shape shifter.

"Oh, I know. I want to have fun with my favorite witch though."

Cloud snarled at "Totopepe" as he walked passed his cell and went straight to Bayonetta's. He chuckled at how she attempted to keep out of sight. Without her portals and magic tricks, she was a sitting duck. She flinched, seeing Totopepe unlocking her cell. Gantz was behind him with an evil smile on his face.

"…Heh heh…I can continue what I started eighteen years ago. I hope you are prepared for this."

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 14197 words.**

 **Li:…More people died.**

 **Me: Of course. There is so much death wherever Bayonetta is if you haven't noticed. Notes!**

 **1\. Compared to chapter 4, Corrin is more than willing to snap back at Macbeth. He hates him that much, but the reason he was in tears before was because he was still grieving over his mother. When you get blackmailed into a marriage after a traumatizing event, it's hard to think straight. Corrin admits in this scene that his head is clearer despite what just happened due to his anger instead of despair clouding his mind. Of course, once Macbeth gives him the sexual orders, Corrin can't really do much about it.**

 **2\. There are a lot of red flags for Leon in this chapter…but regardless of those flags, I guess I indulged in a little of Leon/Corrin ship. Like, most of the flashbacks are Bayonetta's in this story to explain her character, but despite Corrin's status, we don't know his relationship with most of the siblings. I want to clarify them in the future, but this story is not going to be the one.**

 **3\. Valla is not that far from Izumo. In chapter 7-8, its clear that all Corrin needed to do was fall downward. Valla is in the valley portion below Izumo, Hoshido and Nohr, which is in the forest where the Umbra Witches used to reside. The difficulty stems from finding the entrance of Valla, but the location is not too far off allowing for Hoshido, Nohr and Izumo to invade Valla rather quickly.**

 **4\. If it's not apparent in this story, Shulk is rather cold-hearted in this AU. I haven't dived into his backstory, but it's pretty similar to what happened in Xenoblade Chronicles. However, Shulk is stated multiple times to be from Plegia. There's no mention of Bionis in any shape or form and the Homs by that matter. That should give an implication of his backstory. I'll dive into it in future stories, but for now, it's obvious that Shulk prioritizes Rob over everyone else to the point that he can't sympathize with the people he's supposed to save. It will change with due time, but there is a reason for being so short-sighted.**

 **5\. So I admit I cheesed out on the death scenes of Azama and Setsuna in favor of showing how Bayonetta's friends died in the flashback. Zora intentionally used the same torture devices on them, so I thought it would be more interesting to show how Selene and Metallia died instead. It works as sort of a censor in the sense that there is all of this gore, but at the same time, Bayonetta's flashback is still unreliable to an extent that there is often static before switching back to the present. The implication though is that Zora killed them rather quickly while in the flashback, it was apparent that Selene and Metallia died a slow and painful death. Do pay attention what happened to Selene though as this minor detail of her body glowing is important in future stories.**

 **6\. Jeanne's dead if it wasn't already cleared. I went with a scenario of Jeanne protecting Bayonetta at the cost of her life. Jeanne literally blew through Belda though who was bragging so much in the flashback and was the one who killed Totopepe and probably most of the inquisition just to get Bayonetta out. We don't know who killed her in the flashback but it was enough for Bayonetta to finally unleash Madama Butterfly. We don't know how she was able to control her though due to the scene skipping ahead. I would imagine that Bayonetta would be in despair and left a cynical mess if this actually happened in canon. Bayonetta was able to function without any memories, but if Jeanne were to die and if she had memories, I don't think things would end well for her.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!**


	18. Kryptonite's Ring

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon, Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 18: Kryptonite's Ring

* * *

Bayonetta told herself she would not show fear in front of the enemy again. Unfortunately, this really did not apply if someone decided to disguise themselves as Totopepe. That madman had scarred her to the point that his name alone would send shivers down her spine. Zora just needed to get some information out of her before he dragged her out of the cell. Macbeth had given him a list of what the tactician wanted her to spill. Since some of it was confirmed since the last time he had seen her, he only needed to ask about the demons she and other witches made a pact with along with the location of items that Macbeth wanted from her. From what he knew about witches, they kept everything in their hair. Their hair acted like another dimension and only if they took the items out of said dimension would they be able to use the items.

"My dear, sweet witch," "Totopepe" started as he slowly unlocked the prison that Bayonetta was in. "This won't be too long. You just need to cooperate with us if you don't want anything bad happening to you."

The Umbra Witch tried to keep her breathing in check. The "inquisitor" could see how poorly she was reacting to his advances. Compared to the last time, Bayonetta didn't even try to sink into the darkness of her cell. She was already in the darkest corner at this point, so it wouldn't be hard to drag her out.

When Bayonetta refused to cooperate, Zora was forced to be aggressive. It was Gantz who was rather pleased with Bayonetta's sudden scream when "Totopepe" reached out to grab her. Zora was rather surprised that Bayonetta wasn't as strong as he originally thought. Psychological torture aside, she could not escape his grip. Zora was as thin as a twig, and that still applied despite looking like the demon inquisitor.

"Get away from me!" The Umbra Witch screeched as she tried to get the "inquisitor" to release his hold on her.

"Not until you give us what we want." "Totopepe" told her as he glanced down at her jiggling breasts. "If you don't want to get hurt, you better do as I say. I'm sure you don't want to be humiliated in front of your boyfriend."

Cloud was infuriated at what was going on in the other cell. He couldn't do anything but scream at "Totopepe" for his actions. The first time scared Zora, but it wouldn't happen twice especially since he was in the zone.

"Keep your filthy hands off of her!" Cloud snapped as he attempted to break the cell bars yet again.

"Don't waste your energy, you thief." Gantz warned him with a laugh. "You and your girlfriend will be separated from each other soon enough."

"You bastards!" Cloud cursed as the anger was starting to get the best of him.

"Screaming will get you nowhere." Gantz said with a laugh. "Maybe I should cut off that tongue in front of the witch, so she'll cooperate."

"Why don't you kill the criminal so we know our favorite witch won't have anyone to rely on?" Zora suggested.

Bayonetta wanted to do a lot of things in that moment. She wanted to rage at the jester in front of her impersonating the man she hated. She wanted to beg them to not direct their anger at Cloud. She wanted to fight back for once and not have to rely on Cloud. She wanted…to be strong again and not show fear.

" _ **How long are you going to sit there and cry like a baby?"**_

Bayonetta jumped at the new voice. Her eyes widened in horror once she registered who was talking to her.

 _It can't be…_

" _ **You really like blocking my voice out."**_

… _I don't have any use for you…_

" _ **You always say that, but it clearly does not apply now. The man in front of you thinks he can impersonate that filthy inquisitor from your past. He thinks he can order your precious lover to be killed…and you're just going to sit here and let the man do what he wants to you."**_

 _No…of course not, but I do not trust you._

" _ **You don't need to. I can make an exception again though."**_

Bayonetta didn't realize she gasped. "Totopepe" gave her a bemused look at the fearful sound. However he assumed that she was still scared of him, unable to do anything but make small noises. "H-Huh?"

" _ **I listened to you the first time because I simply could not stand that inquisitor. The man who thinks he can impersonate him now will realize not to provoke me."**_

 _Does that mean you'll…_

" _ **Stealing your soul is not my priority. I would rather tear this man to pieces…and since I can hear what you hear…I think I'll help you get rid of that prophet as well. He's not exactly a holy man…and you know how I feel about those types of people."**_

Honestly, Bayonetta didn't know Madama Butterfly well at all. Her demoness had spoken to her through the back of her mind. Madama Butterfly always tried to provoke her into summoning her into combat with the intention of stealing Bayonetta's soul when she let her guard down. The Umbra Witch usually avoided confrontation, so there was never a need to call her. As a result, it was difficult to even communicate with her master. Yet two years ago, it suddenly became easier to speak to Bayonetta when the raven haired witch was not only stronger in terms of magical prowess but also grew a backbone upon meeting the thief that was in the cell next to her. It was amazing what love was capable of doing to someone…

 _So you won't…_

" _ **Not for these particular foes. I can't guarantee anything if you try to summon me afterwards."**_

"…Then get rid of this monster."

Zora was very confused on Bayonetta's tone. Wasn't she supposed to be scared? In fact, why was he the one trembling when the Umbra Witch suddenly stopped resisting him? And why was her body glowing a bright purple color?

"Did you not hear what I said the first time?" Bayonetta asked as she steadily looked up at the imposter. Her lens flashed, hiding the sinister stare that she was giving the man before her. "I told you to get your hands off me."

"W-What?!" Zora did not expect that snappy tone with her. "How dare you speak to me like that!"

"…You may look like him, but you do not act like the man who had stolen everything from me. Men who love to gamble will learn the hard way that they have to stop eventually."

Everyone in view of Bayonetta's cell witnessed a portal being summoned behind the Umbra Witch. An enormous blue arm wrapped around in Bayonetta's hair emerged from the portal. Zora was completely taken off guard as the hand grabbed at his neck. He was forced to let go of the Umbra Witch who had no intention of dropping the man before her.

"Guhh…gg…"

"Totopepe…you always mocked me for not being able to summon Madama Butterfly…but she's here for you now." Bayonetta told "Totopepe" in a dark tone.

"W-Wait!" The jester exclaimed as he was quick to revert back to his jester form. The man's skin was the color of snow as his eyes looked ready to bulge out of his sockets. When he transformed back, Madama Butterfly's grip wasn't as strong as before. "I-I am not Totopepe! I-I am Zora! I was told to transform into him!"

"…Do you think I care that you were ordered to do so?" Bayonetta questioned as she summoned the other arm out of the portal. "You put me through that much stress and for what? You wanted to tick me off? Fine, you ticked me off. Now be a good boy, and die!"

That was all he wrote. When Bayonetta gave the word, the second hand would grab Zora by the waist and host him above the ground. Because the hands were too big for the cell, their presence would harm everything within Bayonetta's radius. Instead of helping his comrade, Gantz took a terrified step back and witnessed the brutality of the grey eyed witch's demon.

Zora screeched when he was stretched out like a wet noodle. He wheezed due to the first hand strangling his throat. When Madama Butterfly let go one hand, it was only to slam him into the ground like a rag doll with the other. Bayonetta could hear the cracking sounds of his facial skeletons cracking upon hitting the cold concrete. Slamming him one time wasn't enough. Madama Butterfly picked him up and slammed him into the nearby wall before smashing him back down. It was like watching a baby having a temper tantrum and throwing its doll all over the place. For every hit that connected with a floor, wall or ceiling, blood would splatter everywhere. Bayonetta ordered her demoness to pick up the speed until the body moved in a blur. Zora was already dead at this point from his skull being crushed against a wall. Madama Butterfly kept beating the corpse up until he was nothing but bones as bits of his skin stuck with his blood.

Cloud gaped at the brutality of the scene and found himself scooting back as far as he could. The Umbra Witch did say she was capable of being cruel, but this was taking it to another level.

"Holy shit…" Gantz muttered as he noticed that Bayonetta was looking at him now. "So your title as an Umbran Witch isn't just for show…"

At first Gantz was worried that Bayonetta would turn Madama Butterfly on him after she made mincemeat out of Zora. The purple aura around Bayonetta disappeared instantly as she collapsed to her feet. The demoness's hands retreated and the portals disappeared after. Because Bayonetta did not summon Madama Butterfly for a long period of time combined with already being exhausted from the recent events, she wouldn't be able to summon the powerful demoness without resting up. That was all the time he needed. His confidence came flooding back to him.

"So what if that jester kicked the bucket? I can still get what I want out of you."

Cloud could only watch as Gantz approached the bloody cell Bayonetta was in. Unlike Zora, he had no problem grabbing the Umbra Witch's arm and dragging her out of her cell. The summoning zapped Bayonetta of any way of protecting herself from the berserker, so Gantz had no problem throwing the Umbra Witch onto his back like she was a sandbag. She let out a startled cry with his actions especially when she felt his hand reaching for her ass.

"Heh…at least your body is good enough to make our interrogation session to be worth it."

Bayonetta could not get away from Gantz. She could only curse in frustration as she pounded weakly into Gantz's back. Cloud's anger flared once again due to witnessing Gantz leave the prison with the raven haired witch in tow.

"Wait, get back here!" Cloud yelled as he banged on the cell bars again. The bars at the front would not budge in the slightest. When he tried shaking the cell bars that separated Cloud's jail cell from Bayonetta's, he was surprised that the bars were loose. It was lucky on his part only because he witnessed Madama Butterfly's arms coming out to punch Zora. Perhaps when the fists punched the opposite direction that there was a strong force that bent the bars that separated the blond from the Umbra Witch. This worked in Cloud's favor because Gantz left the jail cell open when he abducted the older woman from her prison. It allowed Cloud to kick the cell bar away and escape from her side. "Security continues to be lame around here…"

Cloud didn't chase after Gantz immediately though. The mercenary remembered that Hinoka was still captive here. All he needed to do was open the cell for her so she could escape at any time. The problem was that she had no motivation to escape after what happened to her retainers. Her heart might have wavered due to the deaths being caused by Nohrian soldiers after trusting someone from Nohr…

"And you guys leave the keys and my sword unattended…" Cloud continued to complain as he quickly fetched the keys from the table and went over to the Hoshidan princess's cell in order to unlock it. "Get up. We're leaving."

Hinoka did not respond. Instead, she stared at him with tearstained eyes. Cloud sighed at the pitiful expression she gave him. Cloud was almost reminded of the one that Bayonetta gave him when they first met…and the last thing he wanted to do was leave a woman in distress when the soldiers could return and slaughter whoever was still alive in these jail cells.

"…You can stay if you want, but you better think fast. The soldiers won't hesitate to kill you if you stick around, and I bet you still have important things to do."

Cloud was still met with silence. The blond wasn't going to speak any more than he needed to. Every minute he wasted meant that Gantz would be further away from him. He needed to save Bayonetta quickly. Once Cloud had his trademark buster sword, he looked on the wall to see if there were any other weapon he could use. He smirked at an unused sword that the Umbra Witch could wield when he was finished dealing with the Nohrian berserker. Cloud quickly snatched the sword off the wall and rushed out of the prison.

Bayonetta was supposed to be taken to where Macbeth was holding Corrin hostage. However Gantz wasn't exactly ready to see his boss. Instead, he took the Umbra Witch to a guest room and was quick to throw her onto the bed. He shut the door behind him, so no one would see what he was intending to do.

"If Macbeth can have fun with the prince of Izumo, I can have fun with the witch." Gantz said with a laugh.

The Umbra Witch tried to summon Madama Butterfly to assist her, but she didn't have enough magic to do so. Her magic had been so inconsistent as of late that it was becoming more difficult to protect herself.

"What's the matter, witch? Are you going to do to me like you did to that jester?" Gantz asked her with a sinister laugh. "You're going to die here if you don't do anything."

Bayonetta glared at him as a response. It was amusing that after killing "Totopepe", the raven haired witch regained her confidence rather quickly. He lost his insurance, so he needed another way to threaten her.

"…Before you die though, I'm going to get the information that the jester failed to get from you twice." His wicked smile turned into a frown as he decided to be serious. "If you cooperate, I might spare you a painful death."

"I'm not interested." Bayonetta spoke. "I've been offered deals like this in the past. The men never kept their word."

"Then let's get down to business." Gantz tells her. "I need you to tell me everything you know about the Left Eye. I know you are in possession of it."

Bayonetta scowled at the muscular man that was slowly approaching her. She didn't have an answer to that. Truth be told, she didn't know what the Left Eye was. When Bayonetta was recognized as a full-fledged Umbran Witch, Jeanne told her that the Umbran Elder would explain to her what the Left Eye was. Jeanne knew what the Left Eye was and had addressed Bayonetta as such on a few occasions.

The only hint that Bayonetta got from Jeanne was a short history lesson. The Left and Right Eyes of the World apparently created the balance of the world. The eyes were as important as the six dragons of the world. The Left Eye apparently represented Chaos while the Right Eye represented order. The dragons sided with those who desired it in the distant past. Bayonetta could only assume she had the Left Eye, but if she didn't even know what it looked like, she couldn't answer the question.

Her silence was taken as being defiant instead of legitimately not knowing the answer. Gantz was far from pleased with her attitude problem and responded by getting on the bed with her. Bayonetta let out a surprised cry when he grabbed at her wrists again and forced her to lie on the bed. She hissed when he grabbed a hold of her suit and tore it off. Her breasts were exposed to the Nohrian berserker.

"I guess those grunts weren't kidding when they said you had a nice body underneath this suit." Gantz declared with a laugh as he started tearing the suit all the way down to her private area. Bayonetta snarled as she tried to break free from the man's grip. "Have you given up yet? We both know that you aren't leaving this place in one piece."

Again, Bayonetta refused to speak as she desperately searched for an opening. If she could freeze time, she could turn the tables, but all the magic was emptied from her body. The small burst she got from Madama Butterfly was already gone and it frustrated her deeply.

"Heh…if you're expecting someone to save you…well, you're out of luck. The prince of Izumo is busy preparing for his big wedding with Macbeth, and once I'm through with you, I'm going to finish off that thief in the cell downstairs."

The fire returned to her eyes when Gantz threatened to kill Cloud. If she didn't make it apparent to Zora, she would make it clear to Gantz as well. Madama Butterfly may have responded to her hatred toward "Totopepe" but Gantz was just another man trying to take Cloud away from her. Gantz was not expecting for her to be able to kick him in the groin from the position they were in. He howled in pain as he was forced to let her go in order to grab a hold of his crotch.

"…Now that you mention it…I guess it would be rude of me to miss out on Corrin's wedding." Bayonetta said as a matter of fact statement. "Cloud has to be the best man for Corrin, and I have to be there to give both of them emotional support…so no…I can't sleep with someone like you."

Gantz hated Bayonetta's witty tongue. This was the same one that nearly drove Macbeth to harming her before. He wouldn't be able to get any information out of her at this rate.

"…You think you can fight me?" Gantz asked her darkly as he finished rubbing his injured ball sack. "Do I need to remind you of the position you're in? You think you're going to get a lucky hit here again? You're weak. I'm strong. Know your place, woman."

Bayonetta continued to glare at him. She still didn't have the strength to get off the bed, but now she was expecting someone to save her. She needed to stop wishing for a hero to come save her, but it did indeed happen with Jeanne, so…

"My, my, that's not how you would speak to a lady. You should know that you shouldn't underestimate me just because of what's down here."

Gantz almost took that as an invitation to have his way with the Umbra Witch. Bayonetta was serious though. She did not need him looking down on her because of her gender. However, she wouldn't need to do anything as someone finally decided to barge into the room. She smirked seeing the door get kicked down and knocked away.

"This private area is reserved for two men only." Bayonetta added with an evil glint in her eye. "You took your sweet time, Cloud."

"Sorry…I hope you realize there are a lot of rooms in this damn pagoda." Cloud hissed as he kept his buster sword close to him. "I should be glad that Madama Butterfly actually made it easier to break out of jail."

Gantz should have probably checked to see if the cell was in stable condition, but Bayonetta was his number one priority. Now he regretted it because the mercenary was armed and ready to kill him for real this time.

"Back off." Cloud ordered as he was ready to lunge at Gantz if the man decided to try anything funny. The man may have had an axe, but it meant nothing against his sword especially when it wasn't at hand. "…You were lucky to survive our first encounter, but I won't let you live without a fight this time."

Gantz snarled as if he was ready to fight Cloud. He was still too close to Bayonetta. The Nohrian berserker had a sudden idea, but it would not go into fruition seeing as how Cloud was aware of what the muscular man wanted to do.

"…You need to get away from _my_ woman." Cloud hissed.

"Your woman? So you finally admit that there is something going on between you two."

"Perhaps~," Bayonetta suddenly hummed as she suddenly stood up and wrapped her arms around the berserker's neck. The Umbra Witch knew she was overworking herself when she forced her hair to hold Gantz in place. Her grip wouldn't last for long. "Cloud, you better kill this time."

"Guhh…what are you doing? Y-You bitch?! You want to be killed too?!"

Bayonetta was confident that Cloud wouldn't stab her by accident. Cloud looked into her eyes and smirked. He enjoyed seeing this side of the Umbra Witch.

"Cloud's aim better be on point then." She purred.

Cloud had shown that he was good at getting the point across. He swiftly brought justice onto Gantz as he impaled him in the same spot he stabbed him during their first encounter. It wasn't enough to kill him and Cloud made sure not to thrust the sword hard enough that he could impale Bayonetta. Normally, he would have just impaled Gantz all the way through due to Bayonetta's suit. She was naked in that area though, making the threat of her being stab a reality. Gantz growled in pain as the blood dripped down onto the buster sword.

"I'm sorry, Bayonetta." Cloud suddenly apologized. This confused her greatly.

"For what?"

"This is going to get bloody."

Cloud quickly withdrew his blade from Gantz. The Nohrian berserker could have used this opportunity to throw the Umbra Witch off of him, but Cloud was too fast for that. The buster sword was already pointed toward his neck. With one fell swoop, Cloud leaped into the air, taking his sword up with him. The swing effectively hacked off Gantz's head before he would realize what the blond mercenary was planning. Bayonetta was rather taken back by Cloud's actions. She certainly did not appreciate the bloody rain that came from the sudden decapitation.

"…I'm already furious with this man actively participating in assaulting Corrin with that other sick bastard…but he tried to do the same thing to you…unacceptable."

Bayonetta immediately threw Gantz's body onto the floor. She then tried her best to wipe off the blood that got on her skin. Cloud went over to try to assist her but she kept him at arm's length.

"You don't need to trouble yourself with helping me." Bayonetta told him simply. "Blood doesn't bother me."

"Really? When that jester was messing with you in the prison, you were scared…"

"It wasn't the jester that bothered me. When you saved me from their previous torture session, that jester found out who the inquisitor who has caused my Umbran Sisters and me misery eighteen years ago was. It's Totopepe I cannot stand."

"I am aware of that, but-"

"…I won't freeze up again." Bayonetta suddenly said, surprising him. "…I apologize for being a nuisance."

Cloud shook his head at those words. "You haven't been a nuisance to me."

Bayonetta wasn't convinced. She asked him to look away while she fixed her outfit. Cloud obeyed as he turned to a different direction. He could hear the sound of her outfit being put back together. When he was free to turn around, he could see the tears that Gantz caused were gone. That didn't mean there wasn't any blood underneath the suit. She would really need to wash that off when she had the chance.

"…They broke my only handguns." Bayonetta continued in an annoyed tone. "I do not have enough magic to put them back together."

"But it looks like you recovered some of your magic."

"With time, I do get my magic back. You already know that the pact Anankos gave us will allow me to restore it faster…but we don't have the time for that. Corrin is our priority."

Cloud was very much aware of that. He was just glad that Bayonetta was okay and functioning again. He really didn't want to see the Umbra Witch break down in tears again due to her painful memories.

"I have you covered." Cloud began as he suddenly revealed his ready preparation. He had a feeling Bayonetta would need a weapon. She was rather surprised when he threw the sword at her. Luckily, it was still in its sheath so it wouldn't cut her by accident. "You're an expert on using weapons, so I know you can use this until we get a replacement weapon."

"My, my. You are always so thoughtful." Bayonetta said in a teasing voice. The sword was a Killing Edge, so she knew she was going to have fun using it. "Thanks, Cloud."

"…Don't mention it."

Cloud didn't know what to add after that. He glared at the still-sputtering corpse of Gantz one last time before he turned to leave. However Bayonetta wasn't exactly ready to head out of the guest room yet. The blond flinched feeling her suddenly reach out and grab at his hand.

"…Yes?"

"…Did you truly mean it?"

"…Mean what?"

Cloud shouldn't have had looked at the older woman's expression when he asked her that. His heart skipped a beat at the faint blush that was plastered on her face as she struggled to find the words to continue.

"…I was…" She gulped as she finally found the courage to ask him. "You said I was your woman…do you…believe that…"

Cloud's eyes widened at her words. He avoided her gaze the minute she gave him a rather shy look. The mercenary did not want to address the subject at all. He said it in the moment to invoke fear in Gantz's heart before he murdered him. When he thought about it though…he really did believe that…and that was because he cared for Bayonetta greatly.

"…Y-Yes…" Cloud finally responded in almost a whisper. His face was completely red and he hated how he must have looked to her. "I…believe that…"

"Ah…"

"It's how I feel…"

"I…see…then I…"

However Cloud quickly turned away, reminding them of their time limit. "…We should start searching for Corrin." Cloud told her harshly as he started walking out the door. "…We can talk about this afterward."

His abruptness surprised her but she acknowledged his point. "I know." Bayonetta mumbled before she followed after him with the Killing Edge in hand. They both knew they didn't have time for this romantic bullshit. Corrin's life was in danger and Bayonetta became aware that she was wasting time. After all she could always ask him later after they saved the dragon prince.

If there was an opportunity to get back at the people who did her wrong, now's the chance and the confused feelings she had for Cloud was not going to get in the way for that.

* * *

Macbeth's plans were falling apart in front of him and he didn't even realize it. Macbeth wasn't in the pagoda at the current time. He had taken Corrin to the church that was farther away from the pagoda. The only reason he left was to prepare for the wedding. He was so distracted with his marriage later on in the evening that he failed to realize that Gantz and Zora were already dead. Izana was his only ally now, but Macbeth couldn't rely on him too much. That man was very manipulative in nature. Izana made it clear that the wedding had to be in private but needed recognition from important figures for the marriage to actually mean something. The Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings were already against the concept of Corrin being in a relationship with him. However, if any of them attended the wedding, they would surely object. Even if killing them would have made things easier, he knew he couldn't afford to lose the trust of King Garon at this point of time, and he certainly did not want Hoshido to be the one to declare war on Nohr at a time of crisis.

"Macbeth, what did I tell you about being impatient?" Izana asked him. "It's bad for your health."

"They are taking too long. Both of them were supposed to bring that witch here for whatever reason." Macbeth frowned at the thought. "I have no use for her."

"But I do." Izana reminded him with a serious expression.

"You tried to kill her for eighteen years and now you're saying that?"

"Well, yes. While I do enjoy messing with her, she is still very important in my plan as much as the prince and princess of the Invisible Continent are."

Christo wanted to call bullshit on Izana's claim. Bayonetta still wasn't important to him, but in the past Christo had mentioned something about heaven and the Umbra Witch under his breath causing Izana to be slightly interested in what Bayonetta was hiding. She was still an enigma to this day, and even if Christo told him stories of what she was supposed to be, the stories didn't match the character at all. Izana just wanted to pry a little more before he made his final decision.

However, the same could be said with Corrin and Kamui. He had no use for them but Macbeth wanted both of them. He was a lustful man, and Izana did not need the Nohrian tactician going behind his back, so he sold Corrin off to Macbeth just to keep the man in check. If Kamui was alive, it was good for Macbeth. If she died, then nothing of importance was lost.

"You should be focusing on your precious prince in front of you." Izana started as he pointed to the silver haired prince that was forced to sit down on one of seats in the church. "You do not have that much time to prepare for this. You should be happy that Christo is able to get the garments you need to complete this."

Christo rolled his eyes at the mention. He couldn't return to Paradiso yet, but it didn't mean that he had ways of getting heavenly clothes. All he had to do was pray and say someone is getting married and some dumb angel would drop a beautiful wedding dress. Angels were simply complicated creatures due to what they prioritized. The fact they cared more about a false marriage over a comrade's life said a lot…

"Remember, I don't need to have the prince alive. He's only alive so you can marry him to secure Izumo. Anankos will be dead very soon. As long as the prince remains on the Invisible Continent, the continent will not fall and you will be seen as the savior who secured Izumo's placing in the world."

"Of course."

"When that outsider is out of the picture, the princess will be the only nuisance left…assuming she's not already dead."

Izana still believed that Kamui was alive. He only said that to make Macbeth angry.

"I will wait a little longer for her arrival." Macbeth answered. "Having two lovely brides at my side will be a wonderful feeling." Macbeth suddenly raised his hand up. That small action caused Corrin to rise from his seat and approach Macbeth without any resistance whatsoever. "Soon, we will be exchanging vows right here. I could ask for you to wed us now, but I am willing to be patient."

Izana observed the dragon prince before him. He was rather surprised at how emotionless Corrin was given how he displayed a wide variety of emotions a few hours ago. His eyes lost all life, and Corrin noticeably kept his hands in front of his waist. This was the pose he would have if he had a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"…I never would have imagined he would have fallen to your dark magic so quickly." The prophet stated with a laugh. "What did you do to him?"

Macbeth hummed as he ordered Corrin to put his hands around his neck. The silver haired prince obeyed without a second thought. The evil smile widened with Corrin's actions.

"I scared him a little bit." Macbeth responded as he wrapped an arm around Corrin's waist causing the dragon prince to groan slightly. "Corrin is a pure being. That hasn't changed even with toying with him…but the pact is a double edge sword for our little prince. The dragon side of him has awoken and his hidden desires are out in the open now. From what you told me about the pact, it bounds the people together until death. However…what if the pact has yet to be initiated? Corrin is a virgin at the end of the day. I have a theory that when I'm finished with him, the pact will be nullified."

Christo raised his eyebrow in confusion. No one from experience had been able to remove a pact from a dragon. He was slightly interested but knew that Corrin needed to remain "pure" for future plans. Staying on the Invisible Continent was just not an option…

"Your assistant needs to make sure that Corrin has the whitest, most beautiful dress of them all." The Nohrian tactician repeated to Christo who rolled his eyes as a response. "I will make Corrin the happiest man alive."

"I will! I will!" Christo hissed. "When Anankos is dead, the dress will be done! No…the dress will be done before then…"

While it was true that Corrin was under Macbeth's control, it ignored that Corrin's conscious was still self-aware of what went on. He tried to control his body but he couldn't. He tried to scream and curse, but he was unable to move his mouth. Macbeth had complete control from the scare that the greedy tactician gave him.

 _Father won't die!_ Corrin screamed in his mind. _Just watch! Father will do something!_

"Corrin, my love," Macbeth spoke causing Corrin's body to freeze up. "You're already ready for our wedding. Shall you demonstrate your love to these lovely gentlemen and give me a kiss?"

On the surface, Corrin responded immediately by standing on his toes and allowing Macbeth to force his tongue down his mouth. On the inside, Corrin was screaming for his body to not surrender to this perverted man. The worse part was how his body responded to Macbeth's kiss and yearned for the older man more.

"You two make a cute couple." Izana said with a laugh. "I guess the kings should hurry up and murder Anankos so the wedding can take place."

Christo was rather disgusted by the scene. For a moment, he thought he heard Corrin cry for help, but it was most likely him imagining things. Christo didn't realize that Corrin still had a mind of his own but could not voice his opinion. It was a shame really…Christo might have done something to stop the sexual harassment in front of him. Macbeth's hands were already trailing down from Corrin's waist to his butt. Corrin let out a small moan feeling those hands there. The turquoise haired angel glanced to avoid seeing Macbeth get away with tainting the dragon prince.

… _Sir Shulk better have a plan very soon…or he's going to lose the Outer Continent's last hope._ Christo thought grimly to himself.

* * *

Cloud and Bayonetta did have a good idea where Corrin could have been in the pagoda, but they were already too late with getting to him. Since Corrin was taken to the church, the pagoda was empty with only a bunch of guards patrolling the area. The place still needed guards in order to protect whatever important documents Izana had. Bayonetta wasn't interested in the secrets the prophet was hiding. She and Cloud just needed to find the dragon prince and leave.

The mercenary was rather impressed with Bayonetta once she was confident enough in using Madama Butterfly. There were still some doubt left in her such as asking for her help, but Madama Butterfly didn't seem to match the description that Bayonetta had of her. Madama Butterfly clearly did not like Bayonetta's opponents, so she was willing to fight with her. Even if the Umbra Witch's magic was drained, Madama Butterfly's strength was enough to allow her to keep fighting. Her movement with the sword was a sight to behold. There was rustiness in her actions, but Bayonetta at least knew how to use a sword correctly. Granted, her fighting style clearly showed that she enjoyed dual wielding above all else, but Cloud could only give her one sword. If she wanted another one, she would have to buy one later on.

There was one problem with tearing through the entire pagoda. Eventually, it got to a point where things never seemed to end and they were wasting time. Cloud may have found it amusing for Corrin and Kamui to get lost in the pagoda, but the pagoda really was a convoluted place that required a map to even navigate the area. The blond wondered how the hell they ended up at the entrance if they were supposed to ascend the pagoda. He would blame Bayonetta's inability to remember things for a long period of time. Combat was a great way for her to forget where she was and Cloud was a fool for going along with whatever she wanted to do.

"Cloud! Bayonetta!"

The good news was, by ending up on the first floor of the pagoda (after taking a few wrong turns), they would end up crossing paths with Shulk who was also taking care of the soldiers that were left alive by the duo. He did not seem pleased in the slightest.

"What are you two still doing here? Corrin isn't even here anymore!" The Monado boy snapped.

Cloud and Bayonetta glanced at each other with a puzzled countenance before absorbing the words that were spoken to by the younger blond.

"…Excuse me?" Cloud asked. "Are you telling me we killed a bunch of these soldiers for no reason?"

"Well…not for no reason. With fewer soldiers, it means less people for Izana to rely on…but Corrin isn't here anymore. He was taken to the Church of Izumo."

"Then we head to the church." Bayonetta said rather swiftly.

"Uh…no you two are coming with me." Shulk ordered causing the Umbra Witch to give him the evil eye with his sudden demands. "If you thought the pagoda was heavily guarded, the church has more soldiers on patrol. At the moment, they are still preparing for the sudden wedding, so Macbeth doesn't want any unfamiliar face near the church."

"Great." Cloud snarked. "We did waste our time here."

"The soldiers will be gone by nightfall." Shulk stated. "They can't keep everyone out in front of the church. When night comes around, it will also be difficult for them to identify faces to look out for. We need to use this time to rest instead of charging in recklessly." Shulk turned toward Bayonetta when he said this. "Especially you! You are lucky that my vision was averted because of your sudden summoning. Had you not summoned Madama Butterfly, you would have been stuck in the church with Corrin, Bayonetta."

"That would have made things easier."

"Unless you count shooting everyone who even dares to approach Macbeth, then yes, you made Macbeth's plan easier. Fortunately, your demon saved the day, and that is why I am here with no problems. However, you need to restore your magic, Bayonetta. You need your rest."

Cloud could tell that the Umbra Witch was exhausted. Using her magic now nearly caused her to collapse again. If she fainted in the middle of battle, things would get tricky for him. Shulk was a get out of jail free card as he would be able to get them away from the enemy without much trouble.

"And what happens if I refuse?" Bayonetta asked the Seer of Plegia darkly.

"…I have every right to stop these terrible visions from happening." Shulk answered with an equally dark tone. "The place we will be retreating to is one you both are familiar with. Tiki, Kamui and everyone else is already there."

Cloud didn't realize he sighed with relief when Shulk said Kamui was with the group.

"…So Kamui is okay?"

"Of course she is. When she's under my watch, nothing terrible will befall her. Now come along! We need to discuss how we're going to save Corrin from Macbeth! We got no time to lose!"

If there was anything Bayonetta learned from speaking to Shulk these past few encounters, it was that the young knight was a rather bossy individual. From his appearance, he appeared to be meek, but something must have caused him to demand things from people he just met without bothering to explain to them what happened in his visions.

The Umbra Witch was forced to follow behind the two blonds as Shulk paved the way for them. They needed to leave the pagoda before Macbeth realized what happened.

* * *

Without Kamui as the vanguard for Valla, it was easy for Hoshido and Nohr to invade the kingdom. When Anankos was told the soldiers were close, he should have expected they were closer than anticipated. With King Sumeragi and King Garon leading both armies, they were able to push through Valla at an alarming rate. Anankos did not realize how much he relied on Kamui to defend the kingdom, but with her nowhere to be found, there was no hope for Valla.

There were a few soldiers that were able to hold their ground rather easily. Volga was a fire dragon and his strength rivaled that of 100 soldiers. Volga had been aching for a fight so with or without Kamui, he would have no problem killing those who stood in his way. Azura did not want him to be at the center of attention though. He may have been an all-powerful dragon, but he was still one dragon. Both Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers had wyvern slayers meant to harm Anankos and any hidden dragon in Valla. Volga had felt the burn when the sword hit his armor, but he paid no heed. If Azura had not been around, he might have died.

"Woman, let me return to battle. You have done enough for me." Volga hissed, causing Azura to roll her eyes.

"I wish you would refer to me by name. Just because Kamui is not here to scold you on your manners doesn't mean that you shouldn't use them when she's not around." The songstress lectured. "We need to get to Anankos and protect him until Kamui gets back…unless you want to die out here."

"Tch…"

Volga was far from pleased from being taken away from the frontlines. His kinsman would probably die from the large amount of soldiers that were pushing into Valla, but there was not much they could do about it. Azura did have to wonder if this was overkill. Both kings being part of the army was already enough manpower, but they brought in the eldest siblings on both sides. Camilla came along with only Belka while Takumi had both Oboro and Hinata with him to assist him. Azura found it odd how Lazward and Luna weren't following their master's orders, but she wasn't going to pretend she knew why they weren't invading Valla with them. The siblings and their retainers that were missing were Hinoka, Leo and the youngest daughters of both kings. Azura could make a good assumption that the young healers were ordered to stay at home and let the adults handle the assassination of the King of Valla. It was better this way. There was no need to have Sakura or Elise be exploited to the horrors of what their fathers would end up doing.

Kamui's bodyguards avoided the fighting occurring in Valla and rushed toward the Dragon's Den where the soldiers have yet to reach. Despite it being in plain sight, everyone in Valla was given the order to make sure not a single person reached Anankos. This made it easy for Azura and Volga to sneak on by. Anankos was sitting at the end of the Dragon's Den in silence. He appeared defeated with the face he was making. In fact, he was so close to hiding his head under his hood again. Azura noted that he always did this when he was feeling nervous.

"Anankos, the enemy is approaching soon." She warned him. "Please, be prepared to fight."

The dragon of Valla shook his head in discontent. "No…I will not be able to run away from Sumeragi or Garon. They will chase me until the end of time now that they are convinced I am the reason for Mikoto's death. I am sorry you two, but you need to escape without me…along with Felicia, Joker and Cloud's friends."

Azura had to admit, she was not surprised by Anankos' words. Volga though...

"WHAT?!"

As if Anankos did not hear the dragon knight, he continued. "Once you four regroup and escape Valla, I want you to find my children and obey Shulk's instructions. He is the one ticket out of the Invisible Continent and to the Outer Continent."

"Anankos, please explain to me why you are saying something as ridiculous as this!" Volga shouted. The fire dragon was not a happy dragon.

Anankos sighed at Volga's temper. He chose to remain calm and continue speaking as if Volga wasn't disappointed with him. "Volga, I thank you for your service. You were from the Outer Continent, but you served me as if I was your real master. I cannot thank you enough for looking after Kamui for the two years you have known her. I hope you along with Azura will continue to look after her…and I hope you two can also watch over my son…even if he has two bodyguards looking after him, he needs all the help he can get."

"What?! Why?!"

Volga could not stand the idea of another dragon surrendering without a fight. Anankos was always a pacifist, but this was ridiculous. While the fire dragon was furious with his decision, Azura attempted to calm him down by simply placing a hand on his shoulder.

"…You cannot change his opinion, Volga." Azura told him. "We must respect his decision even if it will cost him his life."

"Unbelievable." Volga howled. "Are you a coward?"

"No…I just know there is no point in running and abandoning my people. At the very least, you two can protect Kamui and Corrin for me and make sure that the others are not casualties."

"…I understand." Azura answered. "I still believe you should try to resist a little, but I will not pretend to understand what is going on in your head sometimes."

"…I'm sorry." Anankos apologized.

"Don't be. I think you should know that your daughter will never fall in battle though."

Anankos knew that. Kamui was a strong girl that was capable of taking over Valla when he was gone…but she didn't want to be tied down by anything.

"I know. As her lover, I do expect you to keep an eye out for her…always."

The songstress smirked at being referred to as such. She had no problem denying her unwavering feelings for Kamui…unlike Volga who seemed reluctant to admit he even cared for both ladies.

"You two should go through the hidden exit. They will be here very soon."

The two could do nothing but obey the Invisible Dragon. As Azura and Volga dismissed themselves from Anankos' presence, the Invisible Dragon felt Sumeragi and Garon approaching from the main entrance. Anankos hoped that Felicia and Joker were not killed defending the entrance like everyone else was. He wanted Kamui's retainers to survive this ordeal, so they could continue watching over his daughter.

 _At least Volga and Azura didn't encounter these powerful humans._ Anankos thought to himself as the footsteps drew closer. The red eyed dragon could see a shiny katana and a bloody axe from where he was. He gulped slightly knowing his time has come. "Sumeragi…Garon…you have some nerve storming into my kingdom and slaughtering everyone. Has your respect for dragons gone down that much?"

Sumeragi scowled at Anankos' piercing words. He always saw Anankos as a strict, yet reasonable dragon who would leave humans alone as long as he continued being worshipped. Anankos did not expect worship after the death of his oldest daughter Lilith, but things have clearly changed since then.

"…This would never have happened if you weren't the reason for Mikoto's death." Sumeragi responded coldly. "She was your former wife, but you had her killed so no one could have her."

Anankos shook his head. "Why would I ever wish something horrible to happen to my wife…or anyone in my family for that matter?"

"Anankos, you are not a pure dragon." Garon spoke up with a nasty smile on his face. "You have neglected us ever since we failed to protect your daughter. You let the Invisible Continent decay and refused to hear us out afterwards. We thought that this was a test to see how we would treat your son, but it is clear you had no intention of being kind to him either if you wanted your wife to be killed."

"…You two are being played by a greater power." Anankos voiced. "If I had the power, I would have prevented the death of Mikoto. She…meant so much to me…and I wouldn't have known she was dead if my son didn't tell me."

"Do you know who this "greater power" is?" Sumeragi asked him with a stern look on his face. "I would like to know who is playing me a fool if it's not you."

Anankos did not have an answer. The Invisible Dragon wished he was like Tiki who had the answers to everything. He was an isolated dragon who could not dream of seeing the person who would be his downfall. If Anankos had to make a guess, it was one of the heavenly beings who wanted to see him die by the hands of the people he was supposed to protect. Izana was also a puppet in a sense because he got his information from Paradiso.

"No…I don't…but I reassure you that I am not the one who staged Mikoto's death. You have to believe me on this!"

Anankos did not realize he was raising his voice at this point. He wanted to appeal to the leaders of Hoshido and Nohr, but observing their body language and the facial expression they wore, Anankos knew he was just wasting his time. They had come this far to not stop now. The red eyed dragon had to be killed in order to avenge Mikoto.

"…I don't even have a reason to live without her." Anankos muttered. "If it weren't for her, I would have been wallowing in my self-pity and given up on the Invisible Continent a long time ago."

Anankos loved Mikoto more than anything in the world. His first lover allowed for Lilith to be born into this world. However, that person would be lost with time and Anankos would be convinced he would never love again…but then Mikoto came into his life and warmed his heart that he thought he lost so long ago. He always hid himself from the world, but Mikoto wanted to bring him into the light and live amongst the humans. That would have been a delightful dream to live had Lilith not been murdered by Metallia. Anankos was then forced to hide so he wouldn't be a victim of the witches as well as focus on his duties of protecting the Invisible Continent. Anankos could not visit his wife after he took Kamui away from her as a parting gift. He could not watch Corrin grow up into a wonderful individual. Corrin was still too young to be seen as a man though and he still lacked the social skills to be considered a great leader. He needed someone to support him through thick and thin…but with all the events that have occurred starting with Mikoto's death, Anankos could not see Corrin as the ruler of Izumo much less the entire continent.

 _But it shouldn't matter if my son should rule the Invisible Continent or not. He and Kamui need to live._ Anankos thought to himself. _I trust those who forged a pact with my children to protect them with their lives. I believe Azura and Volga will do that…but I doubt my decision with trusting Cloud and Cereza with Corrin's life. I don't even know what's happening now with them…and I doubt I'll be able to watch over them in the afterlife…_

"Are you done with your sob story?" Garon questioned as he raised his axe. "Your time is up."

"…I know." Anankos told the King of Nohr. "I won't run away. It has been past my time as the protector of the Invisible Continent. Just know that my death will only lead to terrible things to befall all kingdoms. Without my lineage on the Invisible Continent, everything is doomed to fall…"

Sumeragi raised his katana in the air as Garon did his axe. They continued to approach Anankos who refused to move from his spot. Cold sweat fell from the Invisible Dragon's forehead as he looked death straight in the eyes.

 _I'll be joining all of those I cared for very soon._ Anankos thought grimly as he closed his eyes. _Corrin, you should be aware that the kings that you have known since your childhood are no longer the same people. They are both plagued by darkness beyond repair. You cannot hope to save them now…so I hope…your final decision on what to do when this nightmare is over is aware of these facts._

As judgement was being passed onto him by both kings, the last image that came to Anankos' mind was the faces of his family. He wished he could have spoken to Kamui and Corrin one last time before the Hoshidan and Nohrian brought their weapons down on him.

* * *

Izana grinned evilly when a great tremor rampaged. Earthquakes were rare on the Invisible Continent. If an earthquake occurred, the water dragon holding the continent up was suffering. If he was dead, a larger earthquake would occur followed by floods and other natural disasters. Yet as long as Corrin and Kamui were still on the Invisible Continent, there was no real fear of the kingdoms falling to ruin unless war broke out between Hoshido and Nohr. It was bound to happen once the Hoshidans found out that Corrin married Macbeth thus Nohr taking Izumo for its territory. Izana's plans would be completed though since it wasn't in Macbeth's contract to assist him after marrying Corrin off to him.

"Heh…heh heh…so he finally dies…" Izana murmured darkly. "Finally."

Macbeth should have been happy with that news, but he wasn't. It took an escaped soldier from the pagoda for him to learn that Gantz and Zora were killed by Cloud and Bayonetta and that those two escaped. Hinoka was also nowhere to be found in the dungeon. In rage, Macbeth had murdered the soldier and burned his corpse to ashes before returning to the church to prepare for the wedding. Things only started to slow down because the residents of Izumo were starting to get suspicious of the Nohr tactician's activities inside and outside the church. People started to gather around to see what he was planning. Macbeth was never good with interacting with peasants. As a result, he needed Izana to assist him with convincing the people of Izumo that he wasn't doing anything suspicious. The Duke of Izumo was rather blunt with what was going on and it only caused great confusion amongst the people.

"Huh? A marriage?"

"Between the prince and the tactician?"

"Is that allowed? You both are…men…"

"Now, now. There is no need to be worried." Izana told them as he attempted to calm the people down before they started fighting him. "We are in desperate times. Desperate times require desperate measures."

"How will a marriage change that?"

"Our prince doesn't seem the type."

Seeing how the people still weren't satisfied, Macbeth attempted to reassure them himself. "Prince Corrin realized that Izumo is in a terrible spot. Our holy matrimony will allow Izumo to forge a connection with Nohr. As the king's faithful tactician, I will do all in my powers to ensure that Izumo survive these dark times."

The people of Izumo became even more confused at those words. While Corrin did not interact with the people as much as he wanted, they were slightly aware of the type of person he was from observing him whenever he was with his mother (and that was rarely). Was Corrin the sort of person that would give himself into this situation for the sake of his country?

Before the people could ask any more questions, Christo finally came out from one of the side rooms that one could assume was the changing room. He didn't seem all too happy with what he had done, but at the very least, he did his job as an angel.

"…Macbeth, I finished helping the prince." He told him in a tired voice. "Shall I bring him out?"

"Please do. Let the people see how serious he is with marrying me."

Christo rolled his eyes before he went back into the changing room and returned with the Izumo prince. The people gawked and were in awe at what they saw. Christo did not like the look Macbeth gave though. If he smiled any wider, then he was certain his facial expression would be stuck like that.

"Marvelous." Macbeth praised as Corrin revealed himself in the wedding dress that could have only come from Paradiso. The white dress was long enough that it dragged onto the ground. The sleeves were too big for its own good but it gave off a graceful feel to the person that wearing the dress. The dress covered the chest area perfectly, so even if it was a man wearing it, if he was feminine enough, it would allow him to pass as a woman.

"This dress was not easy to get…" Christo grumbled. "And I'm not going to get a raise from this…"

Macbeth could care less about Christo's complaints and ordered the silver haired prince to come toward him. Without uttering a single word, Corrin slowly made his way toward his soon-be husband. The people could not see the dull eyes that were in place of the beautiful red eyes he normally had. Macbeth did not mind that Corrin was very much like a windup doll at this point.

"Corrin, my beloved, won't you tell your people what I just told them?" Macbeth asked in a soft voice once Corrin made it to his side.

Corrin nodded his head slowly as he turned to the people. It looked like he was staring off into space as he recited the words that Macbeth had wanted him to say.

"…My people of Izumo…we are entering a dark time where war is on the horizon…once the hidden kingdom of Valla…the kingdom that has plagued Izumo for the longest time has been removed from the equation…we need to start thinking of the bonds we have between Hoshido and Nohr. I…I have weighed out the consequences of this marriage…and while I marry Macbeth to allow a better relationship with Nohr…I love this man very much. I will…do anything for him."

Lies. Everything that came out of Corrin's mouth was one big lie. One person in the crowd was not fooled. Leon had found his way into the church without Macbeth realizing who he was. The evil tactician was so pleased with himself that he failed to see that Leon was plotting to end this charade.

 _Unbelievable…Macbeth was able to do this to Corrin in a short amount of time._ Leon thought to himself as he tried not to shiver at the dead tone that Corrin was using when addressing the people of Izumo. _Things are starting to spiral out of control quickly. Zero and Odin better hurry up with the reinforcements…I don't think I can do this alone without backup._

"Now, that you heard it from the prince of Izumo himself, anyone who wants to watch our Holy Matrimony must take a seat. Duke Izana wanted this to be a secret occasion, but your prince is willing to allow you to stay to give him your blessing. May he be a wonderful king of Izumo…as will I…"

Macbeth giggled evilly to himself when he murmured that last line. No one but Leon heard him and that was only because the people of Izumo were fixated on Corrin. If anyone else was listening, they would have objected to Macbeth right then and there, but clearly the dragon prince's silence was more suspicious than Macbeth snickering to himself. It drove the Nohrian prince insane. Leon needed to play his cards right or Macbeth would kill him on the spot. Quietly, he took a seat near the back. By doing this, the tall people in front of him would block Macbeth's view of him. He needed to pretend that he was a normal citizen until he was ready to throw a spell at Macbeth's ugly face. The blond felt his body tremble again upon hearing something Corrin said that no one seem to hear.

"Please…help me…"

Leon turned around after taking a seat on the bench. More people were starting to enter the church to attend the wedding and were only more baffled that their prince was in beautiful dress ready to marry the Nohrian tactician. Corrin needed to walk down the aisle again before he could stand next to Macbeth. Leon observed the Izumo prince's slow walk down the aisle and gave him a pitiful look as a response to his pleas for help.

 _Corrin…please hold on a little while long. I will save you if it's the last thing I do._

* * *

Of all the locations for Cloud and Bayonetta to return to, it had to be Bayonetta's shop. Because of the Nohrian soldiers no longer guarding the place due to the order to follow King Garon to Valla, Shulk had decided to use this location to hide. Besides the money that was looted out of the place, everything was left where it was. The Nohrians did not find any use of her books or the materials used to make clothes. Cloud wanted to snicker at the look Bayonetta made when she found out that the Nohrian soldiers had taken her hard earned money and ran off with it.

"I worked so hard for that too…" Bayonetta lamented.

"Next time, actually use it instead of leaving it out in the open and openly bragging about having money." Cloud joked causing her to sigh in defeat.

"You and your obsession with money…" The Umbra Witch mumbled before deciding to use this opportunity to wash herself off. "…Shulk probably has plans for us. Tell me the details when I'm done."

"…Maybe you should wait…" Cloud started before he saw her leave.

"The last time I prioritized something, we ended up leaving to catch up to two dragons and then we got locked in the prison. I know you don't like my scent now."

Cloud shook his head as he let her go take a bath. He headed straight to the main part of the shop where Shulk, Tiki, Nyx, Ava and Kamui were. The Monado boy already started coming up with a plan to save Corrin from Macbeth as well as explaining where they needed to be afterwards.

There was one problem that Cloud had when Shulk tried to explain the plans he had in mind. The way he spoke was that of an aristocrat and that attitude always ticked Cloud off. To make matters worse, he made things sound more convoluted than they already were. Tiki was a better translator of what Shulk wanted to do.

"Shulk wants us to meet up with the Hero of Winds once the summoning is complete." Tiki answered the confused mercenary.

"What summon?"

"From Bayonetta. We see that she has demon summons under her belt. Just because she refused to use them until recently doesn't mean that she didn't have them before. I know she has a demonic bird that she can use to fly us all to the end of the Invisible Continent in a short amount of time. At the port is where the Hero of Winds is waiting for us."

"Why would she need to do that?" Cloud asked. "And who is this Hero of Winds?"

"The Hero of Winds is the title that Tink took for himself." Shulk answered. "And the reason I brought up the summoning is because Bayonetta is capable of such feats. I'm not asking her to fly across the Invisible Continent. That is too much stress on her body."

"We do not have much time left." Tiki added. "I am aware her summoning demon can in fact get us over the forest without engaging in the combatants below."

"…So we'll be skipping over Valla." Cloud murmured to himself more than the green haired dragon.

"Correct." Tiki answered. "There…is not much hope for this place. Corrin and Kamui are needed on the Outer Continent…"

"Why them though? I know when I was sent here, they were looking for the water dragon to purify the waters of Midgar, but…"

"I would like their assistance in my kingdom as Shulk needs their help in Plegia." Tiki explained. "You'd be surprised how useful they would be to us."

Cloud would probably get a lecture again on their importance later on. Right now was not the time.

Kamui was rather silent through the entire explanation. She did not want to leave Izumo, but it didn't take a fool to realize that the citizens were starting to panic. There had been slow rumbles in the ground since this morning. Now, they were becoming more frequent. Izumo (and by proxy the Invisible Continent) was not used to the earth's tremors. Kamui wanted to run back to Valla despite what Shulk told her, but Corrin's safety still came first. She just had to trust Azura and Volga to do their part in the kingdom.

With that in mind, another large tremor occurred that nearly caused Ava to tumble over. Kamui scowled at how things were getting worse. She (along with Tiki) could feel the continent dying ever so slowly and they needed to leave. Kamui's dragon instincts were starting to emerge. The desire to fly away to a safer area was there. Cloud didn't seem too much affected by the earthquake though and started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ava asked him in an aggravated tone. "Master Shulk is still talking!"

"…I'll be fine with whatever plan he comes up with as long as the plan allows us to save Corrin and get him off this stupid continent..." The mercenary replied.

Cloud decided to leave the main room and check up on Bayonetta. She was taking her sweet time in the bath despite the dreadful situation they were all in. Maybe she was trying to recollect herself after everything that happened. Regardless, Cloud ended up going to the back of the shop where the bathroom was to the side of her room and opened the door.

"You're taking too long in the bath." Cloud began to speak before he had a good look at the Umbra Witch. A blush was threatening to appear on his cheeks again. "Uhh…"

"Cloud, you need to learn how to knock." Bayonetta chided even though she wasn't too upset with the younger man walking in on her. "Unless…you wanted to bathe with me…"

"N-No! I wasn't…" Cloud groaned once he heard Bayonetta giggling at him. "C-Can you please get dressed?! I know you're done washing yourself! We need to get serious now!"

"You're no fun." The Umbra Witch whined before she told Cloud to leave so she can get her towel. Cloud expected her to walk around naked instead of just using her magic to put her clothes back on. Bayonetta always had to waste time on minor things like this.

"We don't have all day, Cereza." Cloud reminded her as he forced the blush on his face to go away.

To Cloud's annoyance, there was screaming and shouting coming from the entrance of the shop. The mercenary hoped that the Nohrian soldiers didn't find out they were here. Granted, with a larger group, it would be impossible to be captured again. Cloud wondered if Ava was always this annoying with his yelling.

"Silence! How dare you speak to Odin Dark like that, little boy!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. Why did that dumb retainer that Leon had to find them? If it was only one man, it shouldn't have had been a problem. At this point, Bayonetta walked out of the bathroom with only a towel around her waist. She should have just put her clothes on while she was still inside to save herself the embarrassment. She did want to tease Cloud a little more, but he wasn't going to get that.

"…How the hell did you get here?" Cloud asked as he stood in front of the bathroom (and Bayonetta by proxy). "Why are you even here?"

"You are as rude as the child that is outside."

The person was laughing at Cloud's protective nature more than anything. Ava was cursing at Odin in the front…and that allowed for this man to sneak on by without anyone noticing.

"Zero…" Cloud hissed. "Get lost."

"At least you remember my name." Zero said with a chuckle. "I wonder if the witch remembers who I am."

Bayonetta…was far from pleased to see the thief retainer in front of her. Cloud noted how fast she went back into the bathroom. He flinched when she slammed the door behind her.

"You snagged a good woman."

Zero had no problem trying to provoke Cloud to say or do something reckless. The blond refused to take the bait.

"…Are you going to answer me on why you are here, or do I need to fight you again just to leave?"

"Easy there, tiger. I won't be here for long." Zero began. "I won't even tell anyone about your greatest catch."

"J-Just get on with it!"

"Prince Leon requires your assistance." The one eyed thief responded with a rather serious expression on his face. "He said I could find anyone to help him deal with Macbeth."

"…And…you didn't bother asking for help on the Hoshido side because?"

"…You and that witch have been the ones protecting Prince Corrin from Macbeth. I think it would be reasonable to assume that you would continue protecting him if you and Prince Leon share the same enemy."

Zero had a point. Cloud needed all the help he could get. Corrin needed to be saved. The problem was it was coming out of Zero's mouth. Zero was a shady retainer that no one in their right mind should have hired on the spot. When he wasn't working with Leon, he was doing questionable things in Izumo. It was rumored that Zero killed many people that he didn't like even if the Nohrian prince did not order the killing. In a situation like this, Cloud needed to be cautious. What if Zero was lying in order to lead them into a trap?

"Are you two done negotiating now?" Bayonetta suddenly asked as she exited the bathroom again. This time, she had her clothes on. Her hair was still damp though and it was apparent that her clothes were equally wet. "I would imagine that working with him will get us to Corrin faster."

"…There isn't that much time before the wedding is over." Zero told the two.

Cloud was more stunned than Bayonetta was with this news. "I thought we had time!"

"Macbeth is trying to get this marriage done as quickly as possible. Wouldn't want Prince Corrin to slip away."

"Then why the hell are we doing this slow planning?!"

The mercenary needed to remain calm, but if what Zero said was true, then they wasted so much time talking about saving Corrin instead of actually doing the deed. Zero had decided to leave the room to tell Odin that they needed to head off as well. Kamui was rather taken aback by Zero emerging from the backroom when she didn't even see him sneak around. Odin was still arguing with Ava and it was giving Shulk a headache.

"Knock it off, you two!" Shulk shouted.

"But, Master Shulk!"

"Ava, please!"

"Odin, we need to leave." Zero reminded Odin, who was far from pleased with the attitude that the pink haired tactician gave him.

Before Shulk had a chance to interrogate Leon's retainers, he received another vision. This time, it concerned Leon himself. The prince was in the church listening in on Izana trying to get the wedding done and over with. At some point, he objected to the wedding and attacked Macbeth. The people attending started screaming as they fled the scene. Angels from Paradiso were summoned to judge Leon's sins, but they did not seem to be the beings that kill Leon. It was Macbeth who ended up killing Leon when the Nohrian prince threw himself in front of Corrin once the dragon prince finally broke free from Macbeth's spell. Shulk could not hear the words Leon spoke to Corrin when he drew his last breath.

Unlike the last time, Shulk did not scream when he got the vision. The vision with the original trio was far worse, but once Cloud and Bayonetta had escaped the pagoda, the crisis was averted. No matter what happened though, someone was going to die…and that person unfortunately had to be Leon. Shulk bit his tongue as he allowed Zero and Odin to leave. Cloud rushed out of the backroom with his sword in hand. He had every intention of chasing after them along with Bayonetta. The Monado boy could not stop the two from going after Leon's retainers. While he kept quiet about the vision he saw, Tiki made sure to call him out the minute Kamui decided to leave and follow after Cloud and Bayonetta.

* * *

Leon tapped his foot impatiently waiting for his retainers to show up. Zero should have been here a while ago, but he had yet to meet up with him again. Did something happen again that caused him to stop or was he waiting to crash the wedding at the last minute?

The Nohrian prince was seething at Macbeth for his actions against Corrin. The Izumo prince was being forced to say things he would never say to a despicable man like Macbeth. Every time Corrin resisted, Leon noted that the pendent gave a dark light. The words then came out awkwardly as a result.

Despite the actions that Macbeth was doing, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by Corrin and the dress he was clearly forced to wear. Corrin was always a beautiful individual. Even if the dragon prince was a shut in most of the time, when he did come out of his room, the thought of the heaven's above worshipping and bathing him in a radiant light always struck him. The situation now was dire, but Corrin was still looking beautiful…and those thoughts alone caused Leon to blush slightly.

 _I wonder what would happen if that was me up there and not Macbeth._ Leon thought darkly to himself before he shook his head. _No, I shouldn't be thinking about me. I_ _need to save Corrin…_

"And now…the ring." Izana suddenly spoke.

Leon's eyes widened in horror hearing that the rings would be exchanged first before the vows. Whatever Macbeth was planning would definitely not benefit Corrin in the slightest. Sure enough, the same dark aura that was embodied into the necklace was equal (or even more) in the ring that Macbeth had in hand. Corrin's expression wavered just slightly seeing the ring being presented to him.

"Corrin, will you accept the ring from Macbeth?"

Izana's words pierced Corrin's ears. The young prince waited for Macbeth to remove the ring from the box and slowly place the ring around his finger. Just the small tip of the ring would cause Corrin's entire body to freeze up. The silver haired prince never felt a sensation like this before. Even when under Macbeth's spell, his cheeks turned red from his entire body feeling hot from what the ring was doing to him.

"Gnnn…"

Macbeth returned a rather perverted smile to Corrin upon hearing a small moan escape his lips. The crowd didn't seem to hear the adorable sound Corrin made when the ring was being slipped onto his finger.

"…I know you're excited my love, but please be patient."

"S…top…"

"Hmm?"

"Stop…it…hurts…"

Macbeth's expression faltered slightly. Even this far into the wedding, Corrin was still trying to defy him. Once the vows were exchanged and Corrin was officially his, these small defiant acts would be completely gone.

"Shhhh, we are almost done. You need to be quiet though for Izana's sake."

Corrin wanted to scream for someone to help him. The last words he could say fell under wrap. There was no way to get out of this. A tear was threatening to fall down his eye. Leon could not stand this injustice before him anymore.

As the vows started to be exchanged, Izana asked the question to the audience.

"Is there anyone who objects to this marriage? State it now before you lose the chance to do it again."

Leon had taken out Brynhildr at this point. He glared at Macbeth as he suddenly stood up to everyone's surprise.

"I object."

Like lightning, the spell was cast. Brynhildr was a book that relied on using earth magic over everything else. The spell had an odd way of working. A magic circle formed underneath Corrin as a tree suddenly sprouted up and smacked the necklace that around Corrin's neck. The silver haired prince gasped as he heard the sound of the flower necklace shattering.

The people didn't expect the sudden attack coming from Leon. They assumed it was an ambush and moved hastily. People wanted to leave when more trees started growing out of the ground below them. They kicked and screamed toward the entrance. Izana tried to calm them down, but when most of Izumo people already left, it wasn't happening anytime soon.

"Wait! Come back! I order you to return to your seats!" Macbeth ordered. He growled at the disobedience coming from the people.

"They don't need to return." Leon stated as the trees vanished after a certain amount of time as passed. "I am not really surprised you're doing this behind Father's back. Instead of helping him with the conquest of Valla, here you are trying to get in Corrin's pants. Then again, I wasn't really convinced with your story that Corrin was in love with you. He would never agree to marry you of all people."

"Why you little…" Macbeth hissed as he looked ready to kill him.

"As a prince of Nohr, I object this marriage!" Leon declared as he turned toward Corrin who seemed to still be stuck in a trance despite the necklace breaking. "Corrin! Snap out of it!"

Corrin only groaned weakly as a response. He let out a small whimper when Macbeth grabbed his arm. Izana was far from pleased with how things were turning out.

"I thought you were the smart sibling, Leon…" The long haired prophet began as he started to walk away confusing Macbeth greatly. "Unfortunately, even someone like you will let your emotions get the best of you…"

"Hey, where are you going?!" Macbeth questioned not at all pleased with Izana retreating without finishing his job.

"I'm returning to my headquarters. Leon is a party pooper." Izana replied in a childish tone. "Christo, can you summon your friends from above to assist Macbeth so he can't complain about my departure?"

"…He'll complain either way." Christo mumbled. He was fine with hiding in the corner until something bad happened, and now that something did indeed happen, he could take his leave as well. "Come on, you dumb angels! Help a guy out here! This is a church and I know you can see what's happening! Come judge the person who ruined the wedding!"

As if on cue, a heavenly light rained down from above. Even if it was dark outside, the presence of a heavenly being caused light to brighten the area. Leon would have been amazed at the angelic beings had the angels not turned their weapons on him. Christo groaned that out of all the angels that could have assisted him, it had to be the measly Affinity angels.

"Call me back when Leon is dead." Izana hummed after witnessing the angels being summoned. "I cannot stand people messing with the church. Christo, come along now."

"Stop ordering me around…" Christo hissed as he followed after his master. Before he did that, he placed Corrin's Yatogami and dragonstone next to the pillar before leaving. Leon saw this small action and wondered if Christo was on his side. If Corrin was able to break free, then it would mean he would be able to fight back against Macbeth and the angels.

"Angels, please assist me!" Macbeth demanded as he pointed toward Leon. "That boy is trying to ruin the holy matrimony between my sweet dragon and me."

"As if…" Leon snarked as his tome continued to glow. "Come at me, you ugly birds!"

The Affinity angels wasted no time in charging Leon. Leon counted at least seven of them were summoned to stop him. The dark knight thought they would be difficult but that wasn't the case. Their movement was sloppy and it took one spell from Brynhildr to kill it. Even with that knowledge, the angels all attacked him at once. Leon groaned at how difficult it would be to get to Macbeth if the angels continued to swing their spears at him recklessly.

"Good, now kill that bratty prince." Macbeth ordered before focusing his attention on Corrin. The dragon prince was desperately trying to break free from his grasp and Macbeth wasn't having it. "Even if the necklace was destroyed, the ring still has the same properties as the necklace. You are still my slave, Rapunzel."

Another small noise escaped Corrin's lips as he tried to fight back. Macbeth needed Corrin to become an obedient doll again so he wouldn't mess up his plans.

"Rapunzel, even if Izana isn't here, I need you to declare your love for me."

Corrin gasped at Macbeth's order. He gulped feeling his mouth open up. There was no way Macbeth wanted him to lie like that!

"I'm waiting…"

"Gnn…I…" Corrin closed his mouth as he was forced to look at the Nohrian tactician straight in the eye. "I…"

"Yes, my sweet?"

There was a small pause. The only thing that could be heard was the angels screeching and Leon fighting back against them. Corrin opened his mouth to speak, but they weren't the words that Macbeth expected.

"I…will not…declare my love for you…" Corrin answered as his red eyes pierced Macbeth's soul. "This pact…exists…to defy you. Cloud…and Bayonetta…they…are the reason I defy you."

"What did you say?!"

"…They may never…love me…and that's fine. This pact…was used for power…but for me…I saw it as a way…to run away. I can only…defy you now…with it…I'll support them though…pact or not…" Corrin could feel that he was regaining control of his body despite the ring that was forced on his finger. "Those two…are still…better…than what you could ever offer!"

"You dare resist me?!"

After dodging another spear from one of the angel's, Leon looked toward the altar to see one of Macbeth's hands glowing. The ring on Corrin's finger became the same color as Macbeth's magic. Corrin yelped as the control he was starting to regain began to slip away again.

"Corrin!" Leon called out as he pushed the angel aside and charged toward Macbeth before they could react. He should not be the aggressor in this situation. One false move and Macbeth could seriously injure him. Zero and Odin still weren't here to back him up, so he had to do it himself. "Fight back! CORRIN!"

Leon surprised himself with how quickly he closed the gap between him and Macbeth. Leon would have been better off just casting a spell up close, but tackling Macbeth allowed for Corrin to yank his arm away.

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Macbeth could be heard screaming as he wrestled with Leon in order to regain the advantage. "WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS GET IN MY WAY?!"

Corrin clutched his head in pain as the dark magic continued to seep through his body. He had to regain control now before Macbeth casted a spell on him again.

"D-Dammit…I-I won't let him win…" Corrin growled. "I won't let him control me…"

 **Do you want me to activate the pact?**

Corrin flinched hearing a sinister voice in his head. That didn't sound like the one that was forcing him to obey him.

"Who…"

 **It doesn't matter who I am. I'm asking you if you want to use your powers to destroy that stupid ring. It's preventing me from interacting with you.**

Corrin had an idea of who was speaking to him. This voice sounded identical to the threatening voice that was speaking to Bayonetta not too long ago. If this was the voice, he needed to be wary of it…but he needed to break free from Macbeth's spell…

"How would you…help me?"

 **You need a dragonstone to tap into your full powers. The stone is over there, but I can still force you to change your arm. You can break the ring by doing that.**

"…Really?"

 **I hope you don't mind a taste of the dragon power inside of you.**

Corrin flinched when he felt this other side of him temporarily take over. He didn't want to be anyone else's puppet, but this personality was trying to help him. The hand with his ring finger shifted into a spear. Due to the size of said spear, the ring wouldn't be able to continue being wrapped around his middle finger and shattered as a result of the sudden change.

 **That wasn't so hard.**

"N-No, it wasn't…thank you…"

 **The next time I show up, I expect something big from you.**

Corrin didn't take heed to this warning simply because he didn't know what to expect the next time his dragon side decided to show up and assist him in a dire situation. With the ring out of the way, Corrin was free to rush over to the nearby pillar and pick up the weapons and fight with Leon. There was hope of getting out of here with his virginity intact. If he actually had the strength to do so.

Macbeth had successfully pushed Leon away only to gasp at the situation before him. "You are not getting away from me, Rapunzel…" He jeered. "If I can't have you, then I won't let anyone have you!"

Despite those cliché sounding words, Leon wouldn't be able to stop Macbeth from preparing a powerful darkness spell directly aimed at Corrin. The angels annoyingly got in his way again. Leon was forced to dodge them before looking at the silver haired prince. Corrin wouldn't be able to react in time. The Izumo prince was still too weak from the original curse placed on him to endure another dark spell. Leon had to make a quick decision, or watch Corrin take a fatal blow.

"This Ginnungagap spell will make you remember to never disobey me again!"

… _Not if I can help it._

Corrin's eyes widened in horror when a powerful dark spell was launched in his direction. He closed his eyes and braced himself for impact. The attack never hit him though. Slowly, Corrin opened his eyes. He regretted that action. His vision blurred at the sight of Leon standing before him.

"L-Leon?!"

Macbeth was clearly not expecting Leon to shield Corrin from his attack from the shock of his face. The attack was devastating as the spell could kill someone in one hit if they were caught off guard. Leon could pretend he was still okay, but the big gap in his stomach said otherwise.

"No way…Leon!"

"Foolish child…" Macbeth hissed as he took a step back. "Stop getting in my way!"

"LEON!" Corrin screamed as he caught Leon before the Nohrian prince hit the floor of the church. "Oh gods! Leon! NO!"

Christo flubbed without realizing it. He gave Corrin back his weapons, but failed to give Corrin his healing staff back. Of all the times the dragon prince needed a healing item, this was the time…but there were none in sight. Using the pact as a means would not work if the person was not Cloud or Bayonetta. Without a way to heal, the dragon prince was left to witness Leon bleed out.

"How foolish of me…" Leon mumbled to himself more than Corrin as he got the Izumo prince's attention. "To rush in here…without a plan…how uncharacteristic of me…"

"L-Leon! S-Save your strength! I'll heal you! Just hold on!"

"…I always scolded you…for letting your emotions get the best of you…but look at me now…I cared too much for you…"

Leon gave a weak sigh before he found himself coughing up blood. He really should have prepared for Macbeth retaliating with a powerful magic spell. He was one of the strongest magicians in Nohr for a reason, and to underestimate him because he was a cowardly man would result in his death. Corrin refused to believe that this was the end.

"You're going to be okay!" Corrin insisted. "Let me tap into my powers and…"

"…No…I messed up." Leon murmured. "…Corrin…please…listen to my request…if this is the end…"

"It's not the end! I will save you! Please!"

Tears started to fall down the dragon prince's eyes as he desperately tried to get the dragon part of him to respond. Unfortunately this side did not care for a measly human and ignored Corrin's pleas for help.

"…Corrin…you must stop Hoshido and Nohr…from…going to war…" Leon said in almost a whisper. "Valla…there's no hope for that kingdom…but…the minute that they…are done killing the King of Valla…Hoshido and Nohr…will turn their weapons against each other…and engulf everyone…in an…all-out war."

"H-How do you know this?!"

"…There's no escape." Leon answered weakly. "The signs…were always there…the banquet…the marriage…that was…the last hope of peace…without the queen…without you…there is nothing left here…so you must…"

Leon started wheezing when he saw his life flash before him. The blond refused to let himself die…not until he finished speaking to Corrin. The Nohrian prince frowned seeing Corrin crying all over him.

"…Survive…Corrin…you must…for everyone…" Leon whimpered as he attempted to reach out and touch Corrin's face. His hands were starting to go numb. How weak was he to not be able to feel the warmth of Corrin's cheek. "Corrin…I have…to…tell you…that I…"

At that moment, Leon stopped himself from speaking. Corrin's declaration came to mind before he confessed something he would regret. Corrin had admitted to Macbeth that he made an Invisible Pact with Cloud and Bayonetta. Even if they did not love him, the pact between the three would be forever lasting unless someone in the relationship were to die. The way Corrin had worded it made Leon think that the silver haired prince had already developed strong feelings for the mercenary and the witch. Who was he to come in and confess his unrequited love for the older prince?

 _No…it's not worth making Corrin suffer even more. This is the end for me…so I might as well…take these torturous feelings with me to the grave._

"L-Leon…please…don't die! You can't die like this!"

Leon smiled weakly as his eyes became heavy. "…I wish…you would…smile…so I can…engrave that…with…me…"

The Nohrian prince drew his last breath as the life force left him. His body fell limp in the dragon prince's arms. Corrin refused to believe the reality of this situation and shook him.

"No, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen! L-Leon! Get up! You're going to be okay! Just let me heal you…Leon…no… **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**!"

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 17256 words.**

 **Li: And another person bites the dust…**

 **Me: Hey, the body count is going to stop dropping soon. I'm serious. Notes!**

 **1\. Madama Butterfly in canon doesn't necessarily talk to Bayonetta as much as Bayonetta talks to her in the few cutscenes in the second game. It is established in canon that Madama Butterfly will keep the contract with her master regardless of circumstance** **. While I haven't touched on Bayonetta's relationship with her besides outward fear of summoning her, I intend to bring it up as time goes on should I work on a story that focused on Cloud's first meeting with Bayonetta (as that's probably where most of the development is for them). Madama Butterfly hates the same things as Bayonetta and I imply now that she's chiller with the concept of working with Bayonetta than she was eighteen years ago. Cloud is a major reason for Madama Butterfly to calm down.**

 **2\. The stuff concerning the Left Eye might seem shoehorned in there, but I really don't seem to give a good implication on why Bayonetta was kept alive for so long besides that. Given how in canon, Bayonetta is the child of Baldr and Rosa. Since Baldr did not instigate the witch hunts in this AU, it's safe to say that something happened to him (even if he was already referenced in two chapters back). There really is no point in going into the Left Eye at the moment, but it will serve as a bigger plot point later as well as what it can do.**

 **3\. Something that might not be apparent unlike in canon is that Shulk is very good at making sure his visions don't come true. He doesn't stay quiet like he does originally and waits until the last minute to tell someone about it. If he feels like something bad will happen, he will take things into his own hands. Granted, it's easier to deal with his visions when Tiki is willing to help him, but Shulk's reputation as a visionary is spread throughout the Outer Continent. This is also why he has no problem telling Bayonetta what to do when in my Smash universe, he wouldn't say anything until something already happened.**

 **4\. I'll let you guys decide why Anankos gave up so easily when he is very capable of taking their lives and enslaving them. I should bring up though that Anankos made a pact like Corrin and Kamui with two other people. I didn't like the concept of how Anankos simply made Lilith and then called her "child". It gives the impression that unlike the Corrin twins who he loved that Lilith is just there, so I do have another parent for Lilith. I don't want to name the parent yet due to still trying to figure out one more thing concerning the Invisible Dragons. Chances are it will be the same headcanon I have in my Smash universe concerning children.**

 **5\. This is a running gag at this point when it comes to Cloud, Bayonetta and money. From the first chapter, Cloud complains about Bayonetta not using her money. Now that she lost her money, Bayonetta is very unhappy. When they start earning money again, don't be surprised if Bayonetta loses the money in some shape or form. She is a very forgetful person.**

 **6\. Zero would know who Cloud is TBH. Cloud is a thief and a mercenary and Zero still has connections with criminals. Zero would never tattle on Cloud though for the sole sake of being amused by Marx's attempts to try and capture Cloud. I didn't think that was too important until this scene. Cloud wouldn't want to be on Zero's bad side unlike Marx who is easy to avoid.**

 **7\. The reason why the dark magic worked on Corrin is because of how Corrin didn't have pure intentions for the pact. While Cloud and Bayonetta obviously went with the idea of the pact for power (which they have yet to exploit due to their conflicting feelings with each other), Corrin actually wanted the pact to use as a leverage against suitors who were after him. Macbeth was the one person that came to mind. Like, Corrin did not know what the pact could do, but he knew that someone like Macbeth would see the markings on his back and then wouldn't be able to pursue a relationship with him because he was already marked (even if he's still a virgin). The fact Corrin did not voice this is why the dark magic was able to take over his body.**

 **8\. Leon's death plays out exactly like Elise's death in Birthright with the major difference is that Leon's life is not a complete waste. I can't really say if Corrin will be able to fulfill Leon's wish, but Macbeth sure as hell ain't living after this one.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated (even though I can't answer any question if it's under anonymous). Ja ne!**


	19. His Last Words

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 19: His Last Words

* * *

There were many regrets that Corrin had as he was growing up. One was that he didn't act like a leader in the eyes of the Izumo people. Corrin focused so much on learning how to make medicine and be a great healer that he isolated himself from everyone. The people as a result wouldn't be able to recognize Corrin by face alone and would always be taken by surprise when they saw him in the public eye. This would leave Corrin to be rather detached to the idea of ruling in his mother's place. The second regret was that because of his isolation, he didn't talk much to the people who could have potentially been his family members. The Izumo prince loathed the idea of his mother remarrying another man and him being forced to accept his stepfather. Sumeragi and Garon may have loved Mikoto dearly, but there was still political investment in marrying her. Whoever didn't marry Mikoto would be upset. The children of the father who got the short end of the stick would be sad that Corrin would not be part of their family. Corrin always thought Mikoto would go for the solution where everyone won, but that clearly did not apply here.

As a result of not wanting to get too close to the siblings, he felt like he missed so many opportunities with them. They have all tried to communicate with him during his youth and more times than not, Corrin had been dismissive of them unless it concerned with things he wanted to do. He was not allowed to learn how to use the sword, so Corrin wasn't as close to the eldest siblings of Hoshido and Nohr. Camilla and Hinoka treated him kindly and often spoiled him. Corrin hated the idea of taking advantage of their kindness just because he could have been the potential younger sibling. At the very least, Corrin could get along with the youngest daughters of Hoshido and Nohr. They made him feel warm inside and if Corrin did leave his house, it was because of them. Elise was filled with life and always wanted to talk to him. Sakura may have been shy, but she always helped him with his tasks. Both of them were wonderful healers, so Corrin learned a lot from them.

The problem siblings were Takumi and Leon. Takumi was slightly similar to Corrin and didn't want to talk to him as much. But while he taught him how to use the bow like Mikoto, Leon was the one Corrin wanted to get close to. Leon was a shut in like himself. It was easier to get along with him and learn from him. Out of all the siblings, Corrin grew attached to Leon the most. If it weren't for his hatred for Macbeth as well as knowing his mother's feelings leaned toward Sumeragi, he would not have minded for Leon to be his younger step brother.

Whatever Corrin was feeling about Leon now though was too late to convey. The Nohrian prince was dead in his arms and it was his fault that it happened. No more what if situations of what to talk about with Leon in the future. No more venting to each other about the problems he had in his life. No more hopes for any familial bonding…

"Leon, you can't die on me! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Macbeth couldn't help but giggle seeing the dragon prince shed a tear for the now deceased Nohrian prince. Corrin held Leon's corpse close to him in his arms. Despair was starting to overtake him thus making things easier for the evil tactician.

"The biggest nuisance in my plan is gone. Now it's just the two of us." Macbeth announced with a wicked laugh. "Now you have no choice to marry me. Refuse and I will tell King Garon you murdered his precious son! Just think how everyone will feel that the prince they loved so much murdered one of their own because he was throwing a temper tantrum over wanting to marry me."

Corrin shivered at his words but it wasn't in fear. He wasn't scared of the man before him. No, the flames of anger and hatred were igniting in his heart. The silver haired prince set Leon's corpse carefully on the ground as he stood up. The Yatogami was ready to be used to kill.

"I'll never forgive you…" Corrin whispered as he faced the tactician. "NEVER!"

Macbeth remained amused. "Oh?"

"You dastard! You…Because of you…everything has gone to hell! I'll kill you!"

The raven haired tactician knew Corrin was not thinking. A prince with no experience in fighting choosing to fight an experienced veteran like him alone would be the mistake that would make Corrin his. Corrin let out a roar as he immediately charged at the man without warning. Macbeth hummed at how predictable the sword swing was and evaded it easily. He chose not to hit the prince back with his tome when given the opportunity because he knew Corrin would not be able to withstand the magic spells. The smug expression only grew wider the more Corrin missed and the more frustrated he got.

"Good luck killing me. You have to hit me first."

Macbeth enjoyed seeing Corrin in this rage state. Even when his dragon side activated, he still wasn't focused. Swinging like a madman was yielding no results and it wouldn't be long until Corrin tired out.

"Is this what you really want, Rapunzel?" He asked as he dodged another sword swing. "What do you gain from killing me?"

The dragon prince ignored the question entirely. He wanted Macbeth out of his life, and if it meant staining his hands and murdering him, so be it. Macbeth could tell Corrin was beyond reasoning at this point. While annoying, it was still going to make things easy for him.

"You really are helpless." Macbeth continued as he used his magic to catch the blade before it hit him in the face. The only reason the Yatogami didn't cut his hand in half was because the red eyed prince had no idea how to use this particular blade. Macbeth needed to capitalize that if he wanted to put Corrin back under his control. "You can't even swing a sword correctly to avenge someone you care about. It's a shame how everyone who protected you is dead or going to die soon."

"You dastard!" Corrin cursed as he tried his best to yank the Yatogami from the Nohrian tactician's hand. "Because of you, everyone I care for is dead!"

"How convenient of you to say that. Gunther is dead because you refused to accept my proposal. Your maid died because you didn't come along quietly. Even Prince Leon is dead because you tried to back out of our marriage at the last minute. How selfish can you be? Every time you denied me, someone died. That is on you."

Corrin shook his head, refusing to believe Macbeth's words. "N-No. That's because you don't know when to give up! I said no multiple times!"

"It's not just your retainers that died because of you. Your mother's retainers will soon meet their demise."

Corrin couldn't believe that. "W-What?!"

"Yukimura and Yuugiri…those two are on the frontlines due to my orders." Macbeth said with a laugh. "They want to avenge their queen so badly that they were willing to go to Valla and slay your father. It's a shame that the probability of them returning is low. The Vallites are barbarians and they will not go down without a fight. Even if they did return, you will belong to me."

The dragon prince was starting to realize that he was losing his grip on his sword. Macbeth loved the expression Corrin was making at the moment.

"As for Orochi…heh heh…wouldn't you want to know what happened to her?"

Corrin could only think of the worse possible scenario for her. He hadn't seen her ever since Cloud saved him from Macbeth and Gantz that night.

"Anyone who stands in the way between me and you will perish. Leon was just the beginning, but if any of the siblings from Hoshido or Nohr reject our love for each other, I will eliminate them."

The Izumo prince let out a started cry as the Yatogami was successfully snatched from his grip. The sword would be cast to the side, causing the dragon prince to try retrieving it. Macbeth wouldn't let him. His dark magic was now focused on the dragon prince. The dark magic lifted Corrin up in the air as he let out a painful groan.

"Only our marriage will be your salvation." Macbeth reminded him as his eyes began to glow. "Don't be scared, Rapunzel, and just accept your fate."

Corrin shook his head weakly as he felt his body start to lose control again. Even if the trinkets were destroyed, Macbeth could still force Corrin under his spell for enough time to swear his love to him.

"I will never love you…" Corrin muttered as he felt his voice become scratchy. "I will never…be scared of you…again…"

Macbeth did not take no for an answer. Corrin gasped feeling his entire body freeze up from the dark magic. He whined at how powerful the tactician was. He needed to break free somehow before Leon's effort was wasted.

"You don't need to be scared of me. You just need to love me and be mine. You enjoy everything about me. In your mind, there is only me to love. I will be the one to love and cherish you. What do you say?"

Corrin still shook his head but his mind was shutting down again. He cursed at his weakness.

… **You're kind of pathetic falling for the same thing twice from this one-trick pony.**

Corrin's eyes widened at the voice. He thought it was done helping him at this point.

 **Like I can actually go away when your body is being threatened again…you're very hopeless for a dragon.**

 _I…I'm sorry…Macbeth is too strong…even if I want to resist…I…_

 **Just activate your pact. Can you not feel the people you made a pact with nearby?**

Corrin was confused by this statement before realizing that there was a faint magic spell in the air. It warmed his heart realizing that Bayonetta had escaped from wherever she was being held and coming for him. He could sense Cloud closeby as well.

 _I don't know how…_

 **Hopeless.** The dragon side of Corrin repeated in his head. **Let me show you how it's done since you can't seem to settle the score with this pervert yourself.**

Macbeth was certain that his silence meant that Corrin was surrendering to him. He was wrong when menacing red eyes pierced his soul and forced the dark magic around him to disappear. Corrin's back was clearly glowing due to the pact magic.

"How quaint." Corrin started as he glared at Macbeth. "The same hypnosis spell is not going to work twice with this much rage inside me."

The Nohrian tactician gasped. The boy in front of him wasn't the same meek boy he tried to control. The air around him was more pompous…more powerful…more demonic.

"…Who are you?" Macbeth asked as he stepped back. "Corrin would have never broken out of my spell."

The dragon prince just laughed as he went over to pick up the Yatogami. He smiled when touching it caused the sword to glow. "You should have taken my virginity when you had the chance. Now you're going to die with regrets in Inferno."

"Excuse me?"

The tactician was prepared to attack Corrin, growing weary of the situation before him. The dragon side of Corrin would have lunged at Macbeth had it not been for a sudden arrow suddenly flying through the air and impaling Macbeth in the arm. He let out a painful scream as the arrow went through his arm. Corrin could only hum at how help finally decided to show up when he was going to show the shy prince how to handle a murderer.

"Took you long enough, Zero!" Corrin yelled at the archer who finally made his way into the church. "I was going to cut off his arm if you didn't hit him first."

The archer liked the way the Izumo prince was talking even if it wasn't the tone he was used to. He loved seeing gentle people like Corrin being pushed to their limit.

"My apologies. I was obeying my prince's orders and searching for reinforcements. I found that slacker Odin and he will be coming with me shortly. He is leading that witch, the thief and the princess here as well."

 **See? Help was already on the way and you were going to give up before they came to save your sorry ass.**

 _I…I didn't…_

Zero was unaware of the monologue that the dragon side of Corrin was speaking to the true prince of Izumo.

"This is just another incident of me saving you. I expect you to pay me back later." Zero began before searching for Leon. He was far from pleased to see the Nohrian prince on the floor, dead. "…It looks like I was too late."

The frown was apparent on his face. Corrin would have expected him to be more upset than he appeared to be, but Zero wasn't the best at showing any real emotional attachment to anyone. Leon may have been the closest, but his silence was enough. He let out a sigh as he realized that Odin was not going to be a happy mage. Instead of thinking about how he would deal with his fellow retainer, Zero turned his attention to Macbeth. Corrin was also walking up toward the tactician now. He desperately tried to get the arrow out of his arm, but that action was only making things worse. To get Macbeth's attention, Zero shot another arrow in Macbeth's direction. This one missed but it fulfilled its true purpose. Macbeth flinched at it before seeing Corrin walking. The dragon prince was ready to settle the score with him.

"Aieee…curse you…" Macbeth hissed as he stepped away from Corrin.

"Macbeth, your plans end here!" Corrin proclaimed.

Corrin loathed the man before him. He only needed to take a few steps for the man to show fear in his eyes now that his plans have gone haywire. He screeched as he tried to wave his free hand in front of Corrin. The gesture he made telling the dragon prince to stay away from him only annoyed the dragon prince even more.

"P-Put that blade away, Rapunzel!" Macbeth ordered despite cowering in fear. "Do you know what will happen if you kill me? Nohr will not have a tactician to rely on anymore!"

"You should have thought that when you decided to stay behind and try to force me into your wedding!" Corrin snarled.

"D-Don't kill me! Think of the people that will suffer if you do! Think of your mother! She wouldn't want you wielding a weapon because she doesn't want your hands stain with blood!" Macbeth was hoping that Corrin would think of Mikoto and lower his sword. He was sorely mistaken.

"How many times will you bring Mother into the conversation?" The dragon prince asked darkly. "You always try to use her to guilt me into doing anything for you!"

"N-No, I'm always thinking about you Rapunzel…"

"No, you fucking listen to me!" Corrin snapped. He was the type to never swear but Macbeth broke him at this point. "For all my life, you have never tried to help me. You mocked me for my personality and laughed at the life I lead. You thought of me only as a tool that can be used to increase your political standing that you only got from ass kissing King Garon! Leon would have been King Garon's tactician, but you stole that position from him!"

Macbeth was stunned at the accusation thrown his way. He wasn't allowed to respond though.

"You think I didn't know that though? Leon confessed to me things that he knew about you when I noticed you started stalking me! I always hated you! You never fucking cared about me! You always call me Rapunzel like I'm some helpless damsel waiting for someone to save me! I am capable of handling my own but you don't see me like that! You made everyone think I'm helpless without a guide like you! I'm not your puppet or your fuck toy!"

"C-Corrin, let's calm down…"

"Even now, you're begging me hoping that this "sweet" side of me will come out and spare you! Why would I spare you? You helped get my mother killed. You are the reason my retainers are dead! You tried to kill Cloud and Bayonetta! Those two helped me regain what little confidence I had in myself because of how you treated me all of these years as this weak prince!"

"S-Stop Corrin! Please!"

"You think I'm some dumb prince that can't read between the lines! Why do you think the pact was made? You told Izana yourself! I have darkness in my heart! The pact is the darkness! That darkness made me want to break away from you and everything the Invisible Continent represent! I want to get out of this god damn place like Cloud and Bayonetta! I couldn't admit that though because I still had a reason to be here! It was stupid of me to think there was anything left when you would make sure that I would never be able to go back to my old life…"

At this point, the church door opened revealing Cloud and Bayonetta. They were ready to protect Corrin from Macbeth and whatever guards he had. They were surprised that everything was dead at this point (specifically the angels that Christo summoned). What was more surprising was that Corrin had raised the Yatogami up and prepared to skewer Macbeth with it.

"I beg of you, Corrin! I can change! You got to believe me!" Macbeth pleaded. He was a pathetic sight to behold.

"…When others begged for their lives, did you spare them?" Corrin asked him darkly.

Macbeth's eyes widened in horror at the armor-piercing question. He wouldn't be able to respond because Corrin's patience ran out. Corrin thrusted the Yatogami into Macbeth's neck before slightly lifting him off the ground.

"Think about your crimes in Inferno, why don't you?"

It was difficult to tell who was voicing all of these lines and who was committing murder. While the dragon side seemed to be in control, Corrin held a lot of resentment for Macbeth and had waited for a day like this to come. The silver haired prince smirked as he removed his blade from Macbeth's neck only to decapitate the man in one fell swoop.

Corrin wasn't the type of person to harm someone much less kill them. Bayonetta failed to notice that the Corrin before her was most likely the dragon inside the Izumo prince lashing out and not the sweet prince that cared for her deeply. She was as startled as Cloud was with Corrin decapitating Macbeth.

"…I should have killed you sooner." Corrin muttered darkly as he watched the head roll on the floor. The dragon prince then kicked the man in the stomach in order to knock the corpse over. How did Corrin want to keep impaling the man even though he was dead? Killing him once just wasn't enough.

 **See, you can kill if you put your mind to it.**

… _I wish I didn't need to…_

 **At least you got someone to thank for the pact working to your advantage.**

The dragon side of Corrin returned control over Corrin's body. The silver haired prince should have waited for things to calm down when he glanced over to Cloud and Bayonetta. His smile did not seem genuine to them in the slightest especially with some blood smudges on his cheek.

"I'm sorry I made you two worry." Corrin apologized rather meekly. "I was able to handle Macbeth on my own though. Hopefully, nothing happened to you two while I was stuck here."

Cloud wanted to scold the prince for making him worry. If something happened to him while they were trapped in the pagoda, then Cloud wouldn't hear the end of it from Kamui. The dragon princess was standing guard outside, so she couldn't have witness her brother murdering the Nohrian tactician.

 _If it weren't for Cloud and Bayonetta…I would have been hypnotized by Macbeth again._ Corrin thought to himself. _I'm glad they were able to escape and find me…_

Zero wanted to enjoy a happy reunion with Corrin now that the evil was dead in the church. That wasn't on his top priority though. The Nohrian thief was too busy lifting up Leon's dead body to even speak to Corrin. The Izumo prince was able to speak to him though.

"…What will you do now, Zero?" Corrin asked as he tried to read the expression that Zero had on him at this moment. "You…no longer have a prince to serve…and it's my fault that it happened."

"You don't need to apologize." Zero told him. He laughed bitterly at the predicament he was now in. "It's not a surprise that I lost my purpose in life again. Prince Leon…I expected him to not be careless…"

"He was careless because of me…"

Zero sighed knowing full well Corrin was going to blame himself for Leon's decision. "Don't blame yourself."

"I…"

"Odin is still outside." Zero continued. "I will regroup with him and decide what to do from there. We're both out of a job and we'll be blamed for failing to protect our liege." The Nohrian thief forced himself to make direct contact with the dragon prince puzzling him greatly. "…But when we leave, this might be the last time we speak."

Corrin was confused and for good reasons. Zero seemed to already have a good reason on the Izumo prince after the speech he gave to Macbeth before killing him.

"…We might be enemies the next time we meet in all honestly." Zero started. "I hope you're ready for that."

"Why would we be enemies?"

"I doubt the higher ups will want to believe that you were saved by Prince Leon and that you killed him and Nohrian's greatest tactician." The last part was obviously sarcastic, but the fact still remained that Corrin was going to get in trouble if anyone against the dragon prince found out.

The silver haired prince let this information sink in before he frowned. "O-Oh…I didn't think about that…but if that's the case…I hope we don't end up enemies. You wouldn't hurt me, Zero…would you?"

Zero didn't answer him after looking down at Leon's corpse. Despite being killed, Leon's face looked so peaceful in death. It annoyed Zero how there was no agony like he expected. It only made things worse.

Corrin hated the lack of response from him. Instead, he looked over to Leon's dead body and slowly started to approach it. He stopped halfway not because of Zero's sinister glare in his direction, but because Corrin didn't know what he wanted to do once he was able to look at Leon. Yes, he wanted to apologize to the Nohrian prince for being weak, but he knew Leon didn't want to see him cry. He held his tongue as a result.

It was Cloud that approached Corrin though and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"We should leave soon." He told the dragon prince.

"I know…" Corrin mumbled. "…Leon…Zero…I'm really sorry."

Zero just silently nodded his head as a response. Bayonetta looked toward the church's entrance and scowled. While she shouldn't be having these thoughts, the Umbra Witch was disappointed that by the time they have arrived to save Corrin from being married off, he had already handled the situation even though it cost Leon his life. This should have been a good thing. Corrin was capable of handling himself without Cloud and Bayonetta. Both had believed Corrin needed rescuing and while he did, he was able to hold it down until they arrived to pick him up from the church.

"I guess…this is it then, Zero…" Corrin muffled. Cloud gave the dragon prince some space as he walked over next to Bayonetta. He was ready to leave.

"Yeah…I expect your retainers to take care of you."

Cloud and Bayonetta were far from being retainers, but seeing as how everyone that protected Corrin was dead…

"I'll be fine. Just make sure you…mmm?!"

Even if Zero was trying to be cold to him given the situation, it would not stop Zero from teasing Corrin. If this was supposed to be their last meeting as friends, then he might as well give Corrin fond memories of him at least. Sneaking in a kiss was questionable.

Corrin didn't know how to react to Zero's surprise kiss. In the past, he might have enjoyed his first kiss being taken by the attractive older man (not like this was his first kiss given what his dragon side did to Bayonetta). He didn't feel the same way now especially with Cloud and Bayonetta watching him. Zero couldn't help but laugh into the kiss with Corrin's underreaction. The Nohrian thief was more amused at Cloud and Bayonetta's reaction. Cloud's cheeks became rather red as he looked ready to take the buster sword and impale him with it. Bayonetta's mouth was too wide for her own good. She clearly wasn't expecting the young prince to be kissed in front of her.

After Zero got his parting kiss (and a reaction from the other two adults in the room), the thief dismissed himself from church. Corrin found it odd that Odin would not be entering the church. Zero clearly did not want anyone to see Leon's corpse in his arms and assume the worst. The Nohrian thief trusted Odin to be able to realize what have happened and meet him in some isolated area in Izumo.

With Zero gone, Corrin could focus on Cloud and Bayonetta again. Unfortunately, they weren't in the mood. The blond was visibly frustrated with what the white haired thief did to Corrin. The silver haired prince didn't register that Cloud was jealous of Zero making a bold move like that in front of him. As for Bayonetta, she also was annoyed but it wasn't as apparent as Cloud. Corrin couldn't see her eyes as the lens' glare was too bright for him.

"…What a rude man." Bayonetta groaned. "Cloud, don't let him get to you."

"He's always finding a way to crawl under my skin." Cloud reminded her. "You seem more upset than I am about it though."

Bayonetta shook her head rather quickly. She wasn't going to admit that she didn't understand why she was upset with Zero forcing a kiss to Corrin. She could say the timing was bad, but deep down, she was probably feeling envious as Cloud was.

"Are you two okay?" Corrin asked them. "Can I do anything to help?"

Before they could response, Kamui peeked into the church rather agitated that the three were talking instead of running.

"What are you three doing? We got to catch up to Shulk now before the guards come back!"

"But what about Odin?" Corrin asked her. He should have said something else but the dragon princess rolled her eyes.

"That guy…I will never understand him. He was spouting some bullshit about retreating to the darkness and then he abandons his friend. Is Zero or Prince Leon in there?"

Corrin shook his head. He didn't want to break the news to his twin sister yet about what happened.

"Well, get your things, Corrin! We need to leave! Cloud, please help me lead the way!"

* * *

Assassins were indeed sent to the edge of the Outer Continent to stop the captain who guided Shulk's group safely across the seas. Macbeth and Izana expected the captain of the ship to go down relatively easily, so they sent a few assassins to take him or her out. There was one small miscalculation that the assassins did not expect.

The ship's captain was a small boy at the age of twelve. He didn't even look to be a captain especially with the clothes he wore, but his clothes made him stand out. The kid wore a green tunic identical to a certain Hyrulian who had already died on this very continent. He had a very expressive face to say the least. He had big black eyes and a huge smile. The boy was messing around with his shiny sword that the assassins just assumed he was a young boy training to become a mercenary. Truthfully they had no idea what their target looked like. As a result, the assassins needed to ask around to see who the captain of the ship was. They couldn't believe that the young boy was the captain from the information they gathered. Of course, they ended up asking him and got a nasty surprise.

"Yo! My name is Tink and I am the captain of the ship known as the King of Red Lions! You heard of me, right? I'm the greatest captain there is to sail to the Invisible Continent all by myself! I usually deliver goods that were requested from Hyrule or some other kingdom on the Outer Continent, but I was asked to escort the Princess of Akaenia and the Seer of Plegia here. I'm waiting for them to return of course, and until then, I'm going to keep practicing my sword. I'll find information on my big brother here someday, but today is not the day."

Tink was a vocal individual. He gave out so information that the assassins had to wonder if he was naïve or stupid. Tink was neither as he stopped swinging his sword recklessly to glare at the assassins who had their weapons out. From looking at their clothes, he could see they were out to hurt someone. That someone was him because he was in charge of the ship. The assassins from Izumo hesitated to raise their weapon. Tink was too young and adorable to harm, but if they had those thoughts going through their head, they were in for a rude awakening. Tink had no problem attacking them before they even had a chance to consider harming him.

Tink was nibble, so he was able to sneak around them and impale one man in the chest quickly before locking onto the next assassin. Tink was careful to not get his clothes dirty, so his deaths were centered on impaling them in the heart and hoping they collapse before they even realized what happened. The young captain continued to swoop around and stab them with his sword until the assassins were all bleeding on the ground, dead. The boy didn't even seem phased that he took the lives of people who might have left him alone due to his age.

"You shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a kid." Tink hummed as he wasted no time trying to take the bodies toward the ocean. To get rid of the evidence, he would simply need to dump them into the water and hope the bodies sink. The only reason no one witnessed him perform this task was because of how late it was when everyone had returned home to reconcile with his or her family. "I'm like big brother! I am a Knight of Hyrule along with being the Captain of the King of Red Lions! I will not fall in battle until I learn the truth of big brother's disappearance!"

There was no one to hear Tink's declaration, and that was fine with him. He was just a loud kid with no one to turn to at this point. While Tink had been waiting for Shulk's group to return, he decided to play innocent and crash at an old lady's house. Old ladies always had a soft spot for someone as small as the young sailor, so he was able to mooch off her until it was time to leave. That wasn't to say Tink was an ungrateful brat. In fact, he spent most of his free time helping the old lady and other individuals at the port out in order to earn money to eat. Tink was scolded by his elder siblings that he needed to stop using his looks in order to get what he wanted. The only reason the young blond did this was so he wouldn't have to sleep in his own boat for the night. Fortunately, this was the last night before he decided to leave. Shulk should be returning tonight regardless.

"Sir Shulk, please hurry up." Tink complained as he let out a small yawn. "You honestly don't expect me to mooch off old people forever, right?"

Tink was met with a large tremor that nearly knocked him on his feet. Thank the heavenly beings for allowing Tink to finish moving the bodies. Otherwise, the young sailor would have certainly fallen into the ocean with them.

"Woah! That was a big earthquake!" Tink exclaimed as he looked up toward the sky and frowned. "Oh, no! A storm is coming soon! Shulk, you better hurry up with your mission! I don't want to leave you stranded on this continent. The conditions are getting worse by the minute, and I know you don't want to hear that!"

There was one thing Tink was more worried about than leaving without Shulk's group before the storm kicked in. He was scared that Shulk's group might have been killed while heading to Valla and Izumo. The assassins he killed might not have been so tough, but because they weren't expecting a child, it was easy to get the upper hand on them. Shulk stood out too much in comparison and could very well get himself in trouble if he wasn't careful. His visions have helped him out of tight situations, but Tink wondered if that would be possible now when things were becoming so convoluted…

* * *

As the group rushed out of Izumo before anyone noticed the disturbances happening in the kingdom, Corrin was quick to get behind a tree and shred his wedding dress. Christo was kind enough to leave his armor with his staff, but the dragon prince hated how he didn't have the healing staff with him when he needed it the most. Ava complained to Corrin how it was a waste to rip apart the dress when he could do so many things with it.

"It was a gift from the heavens!" Ava had cried out when Corrin put his armor back on. "If you sold it off on the Outer Continent, you could be rich!"

"It had blood on it." Corrin murmured darkly as he adjusted his armor. "And I don't want something that reminds me of that scumbag."

Ava did not seem to understand why Corrin was upset in the first place. It brought Ava's mentality into question seeing as how he failed to realize that Corrin did not want to wear something that was forced on him by the person who killed Leon.

 _But Izana is still alive._ Corrin thought to himself as he stopped walking. The group wasted enough time letting him change into what was considered normal attire before leaving again. _I can't just let Izana live when he was responsible for everything that happened._

Cloud noticed that Corrin was trailing behind the group. He sighed as he waited for Corrin to catch up to him.

"…What's wrong, Corrin?" Cloud asked. "What's on your mind?"

Corrin gave Cloud a pained expression as a response. Cloud felt his heart sink at the desperation in Corrin's countenance. Cloud's question caused the group to stop again to Shulk's annoyance.

"What is it now?" Shulk asked. "We have to get a move on."

"…I'm sorry, Shulk. I can't." Corrin confessed. He forced himself to look straight at the Plegian Knight's eyes as he continued. "I cannot leave knowing that Izana is the one who is responsible for my mother's death. I have to know why he betrayed Mother and the kingdom…"

"Foolish." Nyx stated. Shulk would have said the same thing, but Nyx already labeled the Izumo prince as such. "You think that you'll be able to have a nice conversation with him?"

"I…"

"Why would you even want to return to Izumo after everything you learned? If you're in denial-"

"No!" Corrin shouted. "I'm not in denial! I…I don't really have a reason to go back. I want to run away…honest…but I can't leave if I don't know why Mother had to die." He looked over to Cloud and then to Bayonetta with pleading expressions. Corrin didn't know what to expect from his older companions. They already saved him and they wanted to leave before things took a turn for the worse, yet here he was arguing to stay a little while longer. "…I…I know there isn't much hope for me. The way things played out in the church…no one will believe me if I said Macbeth killed Leon. No one is going to believe that Leon died for me…they're going to think he died because of me. Nohr will find an excuse to make things harder for me if things decide to settle down. I'm not…that naïve…"

"Exactly," Nyx interpreted, "Nohr will use this as a leverage to pressure you into siding with them over Hoshido. It will happen, and it will not end well for you."

"I know that, but…" Corrin's voice trailed off. Nyx was making it more difficult for him to argue back. At this rate, he would be dragged back without resolving the issue with Mikoto.

Tiki suddenly flinched hearing something in the bushes. Shulk was quick to step in front of the green haired Manakete and get the Monado out. Nyx and Ava took out their tomes while everyone else got out their sword, ready to fight if it was a soldier from Hoshido or Nohr.

To Kamui's surprise, Felicia and Joker were in one piece and managed to find her. It should be to the surprise of no one that the maids were capable of finding the dragon they served. Flora knew where Corrin was when he was saved by Cloud. Despite the chaos happening around her, Felicia still had an idea where Kamui was and was able to lead Joker away. Granted, she might have worried Azura. Azura was ordered to find her, Joker, Tifa and Barret.

"Felicia?! Joker?!" Kamui called out in a worried tone. "What are you two doing here? Why aren't you in Valla? Where is Azura and everyone else?!"

Felicia was relieved to see that her princess was okay. Joker didn't have time to relax though due to the grave news he needed to deliver.

"Azura and the others are fine, my Lady." Joker answered. "Lady Azura and Lord Volga are okay. They are with Tifa and Barret and getting items needed for our journey."

Kamui assumed that meant getting items ready when they leave the Outer Continent. It could only mean one thing.

"…If that's happening, then that means…"

Felicia wanted to break the news to her princess, but she couldn't. The pink haired maid would probably burst into tears when she said it. It would probably be worse for her later on when Corrin revealed to her that her older twin sister was killed by Izana.

"I'm sorry, Lady Kamui." Joker muttered. His voice was low enough for Kamui to hear him and for her to understand the gravity of the situation. "Your father…is no longer in this world."

Kamui should have expected this, but it was still devastating news. She wanted to scream, hiss and cry. Life was not fair for her. She had to choose between her brother or her father, but Anankos' life was near its end. He had warned her time and time again to be prepared for it and to work on getting past his death. It didn't change how much her heart hurt at that moment and how she wanted to collapse to the ground in tears. While Cloud and Bayonetta were also disappointed in the news, Corrin wanted to cry for his sister. He didn't know his father well enough and his parting gift was the pact that he had with the Umbra Witch and the mercenary.

"I…I see…Father…is gone now…" Kamui mumbled. She tried to keep her composure and was rather surprised she wasn't visibly shaken by the news. "Because I foolishly left his side in time of need…he's dead…"

"T-That's not your fault Princess Kamui!" Felicia exclaimed. "A-And don't think we abandoned him to tell you this. He made a clear order to Azura to find you and Prince Corrin! He thought of his children's safety when he gave us the order!"

"I see…what was his last request? I know he wants me to do something now that he's gone."

"…Azura and Volga were the last one to see him unfortunately." Joker told her. "Knowing your father, his last words would be concerning you finding happiness elsewhere."

"Oh…"

"Azura said your father's last words concerned you looking after your only family member left. Now that he's gone, Lord Corrin is the only one you should be looking after. This applies to Lord Corrin as well. Both of his parents are gone, so he must look after his sister no matter what."

Of course Anankos' last request concerned his children. Kamui didn't need her father telling her to look after her twin brother. Even if she only known Corrin for a short amount of time, Kamui recognized that her family bonds was very important.

"…I guess I know what I need to do now." Kamui began as she glanced at her twin brother. "I can't really leave now that Father is dead. The man who orchestrated his death has to die first before I'm satisfied. As a Vallite, I don't intend to run away until that happens."

Corrin was rather pleased with her declaration. "So…you're going to…"

"Yep, you get the truth out of him and I will gladly end his life!"

The Monado boy was far from pleased with Kamui's quick decision despite Anankos' last words were for her to survive with her twin brother.

"You dragons are making a big mistake." Shulk growled. "You literally want to walk to your graves before you even have a chance to leave this continent!"

"Shulk, you're not going to convince these knuckleheads to leave with you yet." Cloud told Shulk to his annoyance.

"But…"

"Corrin is dumb. Kamui isn't any smarter. If they both need to settle the score with the duke, then who am I to ignore their request?" Corrin was rather surprised that Cloud was willing to go with him. Cloud noticed the shocked expression and sighed. "Look, I rested up enough. I didn't need to fight that many soldiers heading to the church. I have enough energy to deal with the duke."

"Are you for real…" Shulk muttered to himself. "You're going to possibly risk your chance at escaping to go with them…"

"Sounds about right." Cloud answered as he looked over to Bayonetta. "What about you? Are you going to follow Shulk to the dock?"

Bayonetta didn't want to be on the spot. She thought the dragon twins and Cloud were being dumb with the idea of going back to fight Izana. The Umbra Witch's problem though was that she would be stuck with people she didn't trust. She only trusted Cloud and if she wasn't near him, she probably wouldn't listen to anyone else.

"Do you really need to put me on the spot?" She asked darkly.

"Not really. This place hasn't treated you kindly. You can avoid any more confrontations if you go with Shulk now to the dock. We'll be fine though."

The people of the Invisible Continent have hurt the Umbra Witch physically and mentally. The Witch Hunts she felt were what made her cynical and made her pray for the end of the Invisible Continent. Even if she were to die, she wanted to see the people suffer. That was still very much the case. Now, she had people she learned to care about and she wanted them to stay safe.

"Bayonetta, don't give me that look. If you're worried something bad is going to happen to me-"

"Why would I be worried about you?" Bayonetta asked in an annoyed tone. "You're going to leave me alone while you have all the fun with fighting the duke."

"Wait…then…"

"Cloud, you do realize that even if you finish the task at hand, you're going to be stranded in Izumo without a quick way of escape."

"Oh…"

"…It's very hard to leave you alone when you are a very forgetful man."

Cloud did not like the tone she used. Even if Bayonetta wouldn't admit that she didn't want to leave Cloud's side, it was a convenient excuse to say that Cloud didn't remember the plan in order to tag along.

"Also…I have a score to settle with the duke as well." Bayonetta added to the previous statement. "All of us want a piece of him."

"You could just answer, 'Yes, I want to go with you, Cloud!' But nope! You got to keep being the stubborn woman I know." Cloud said in an exaggerated tone. Bayonetta could only chuckle as a response to his little joke.

Shulk wanted to bang his head against the nearby tree at Bayonetta's decision. He was asking himself why the people on the Invisible Continent were so stubborn. Maybe he just had low tolerance with people who refused to use their brain in situations like this. Tiki in comparison was more sympathetic to their plight.

"If you four have made your decision, then there is nothing we can do about it." Tiki started. She went over to Shulk to pat him on the back even though he wasn't in the mood for her pity. "You have until midnight to get to the dock. There isn't that much time left, but if you stick with the original plan when it concerns getting past the forest, you should be able to make it to the dock on time."

Cloud nodded his head to her words but was still confused on something. "Why do we need to be back by midnight specifically?"

"The captain of the ship we took will want to leave when the weather starts getting this bad." Tiki answered. "The weather is only this bad because Anankos has passed away. The captain doesn't know that and will want to leave before his ship gets damaged. It doesn't mean that he won't come back after the storm settles, but every moment we waste here is precious time we could be back on the Outer Continent. Time is of the essence."

Way to put pressure on Cloud specifically when it came to bringing his friends to the dock safely. The blond knew he was capable of doing such a task. The question was whether or not Izana will go down without a fight. Besides what he did to Flora, he spent so much time in the background just sending someone else to do the dirty work for him. Maybe he'll be easier to fight if they got the upper hand.

"I wish you luck." The green haired Manakete added.

"Don't get killed now." Kamui told her. "Please make sure you find everyone."

"Azura and Volga will be found." Tiki reassured her. "As will everyone else. Rest assure that I won't let Shulk abandon them."

"You make me out as a heartless individual." Shulk grumbled as his Monado started to glow. "…We need to move out now."

Kamui could only hope that Shulk's group would find as many survivors as possible and bring them to the dock. This did include her servants, Tifa and Barret. The four watched as Shulk's group quickly disappeared into the darkness of the forest after wishing them luck. Once they were gone, Cloud turned his attention to Corrin immediately.

"So, where do you think Izana is?" Cloud asked. "He wasn't in the church when we got there and when Bayonetta and I tore up the pagoda, he wasn't anywhere to be found either."

"Actually, I do think he's in the pagoda now." Corrin responded. "When Leon attacked Macbeth, he and Christo decided to leave. There aren't that many places in Izumo he could be besides the pagoda."

"Are you suggesting that he's probably on the roof of the pagoda?" Bayonetta asked the dragon prince. "That's really stretching it unless he's planning something that requires the extra room."

"…There's an extra room?"

Besides Kamui, Cloud was clueless of the pagoda's structure. It should have been expected for Corrin to know, but Bayonetta's knowledge made the silver haired prince raise an eyebrow.

"There's a hidden staircase that isn't easily accessed. You take those stairs and you end up on the roof of the pagoda. It's easier to fly to the top than search for those stairs."

Despite it only being for a brief moment, Corrin did recall seeing the top of the pagoda when he first tapped into his dragon powers while searching for the room his mother was in.

"So…we should try flying to the top of the pagoda instead of trying to find the hidden staircase, correct?" Kamui asked.

"That sounds about right."

Kamui shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it can't be helped, but I would think two big dragons would attract a lot of attention especially with these turbulent times."

Corrin flinched. Was his sister suggesting that they turn into their dragon form and fly straight to the pagoda?

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Bayonetta told her. "I have ways of making sure that we won't be caught."

Cloud was aware of what she wanted to do, but he questioned if she had enough energy to pull off the task. He was willing to put his trust in her not getting them call killed. It all just stemmed on if the dragon twins will allow the two to ride them.

"Well, if you got things under control, then let's go!" Kamui declared as she started shifting into a dragon. **"WHICH ONE OF YOU WANTS TO RIDE WITH ME?"**

Did she have to put it like that? Corrin asked himself as he took his dragonstone out. "Bayonetta, do you want to get on my back or do you want to ride my sister's?"

Bayonetta was surprised with the question. Riding on Kamui made sense because both of them were women, but she had this nagging feeling she would have to do more fighting if she rode on the dragon princess. She chuckled as she went over to the dragon prince instead.

"Who else would I ride on besides you?" She teased. The Umbra Witch was amused at the large blush that appeared on his face. "Cloud, you can do all the dirty work."

Cloud just waved her off as a response. He should know by now that if Bayonetta could avoid overexerting herself, she would. The mercenary hoped that Kamui wouldn't mind him riding on her back too much. Compared to Corrin who blushed when he felt Bayonetta sit on his back, Kamui had no problem with Cloud sitting on her back and holding onto her neck rather tightly.

" **PLEASE HANG ON TIGHTLY. I DO NOT WANT TO CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL OFF."** Kamui warned as she spread her wings and took off. Corrin took off after her. Bayonetta's body glowed a purple color as the dragon twins could feel something different in their surroundings almost immediately. The two made sure to remain quiet even with the promise that Bayonetta would make sure they wouldn't get detected.

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 9611 words.**

 **Li: What happened to this chapter?**

 **Me: I had a really nasty burnout so I split the chapter in two. The chapter was already ridiculously long after I finished Corrin's confrontation with Macbeth, so the entire scene with Izana would have made this thing 20,000 words and no one is going to sit through that. Chapter 21 is now the epilogue though. Notes!  
**

 **1\. Again, I have yet to evaluate Zero's relationship with Corrin, but the same could be said for Leon given his obvious crush on him. If I go into it in the sequel, it will be in flashbacks in a similar vein as Bayonetta's flashbacks (as most of her flashbacks are now done unless I go back farther than what was already shown with her relationship with the other witches). It's still apparent Corrin crushed on Zero, but there is obviously a reason why nothing came of it.**

 **2\. A minor thing I noticed is I don't think I had Joker speak the entire story. He's not a major character, but I felt like the one thing that would set him apart from everyone else is how he refers to Corrin and Kamui by "Lord" and "Lady" instead of "Prince" and "Princess". Also, since Azura isn't really royalty in this universe, she doesn't get any honorifics.**

 **3\. I wanted the major difference between Corrin and Kamui is how they handle the loss of their parent. Corrin obviously cried for Mikoto but Kamui has to keep a strong front when she hears Anankos is dead. She's lucky she doesn't get to see the dead body of her father, but the point still stands that Kamui is supposed to be the older sibling that is tough nut to crack while Corrin is more emotional. Kamui's decision though to murder Izana still implies that the news hurts her enough to do something as reckless as put her life (and Corrin's) on the line to get rid of Izana.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Next chapter is the confrontation with Izana. Ja ne!**


	20. Confrontation and Foreshadowing

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Ryoma/Crimson, Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Chapter 20: Confrontation and Foreshadowing

* * *

The dragon twins made haste with flying over to the pagoda. They needed to be careful. Some way or another, they assumed that Izana would be able to detect them if they flew overhead. It was easy to hide in the darkness. The only light the dragon twins relied on was the moon in the sky. Even if the ground was shaky due to the tremors, the sky was still safe…but even that wouldn't last long.

"… **Bayonetta, are you sure you're okay?"** Corrin asked her suddenly. **"You don't need to tag along with us."**

Bayonetta was rather surprised that Corrin was able to shrink his voice to the point that he wasn't roaring his words out. The situation was serious, so any sound he made could alert the enemy. She wondered how he was able to pull this off.

"Corrin, dear…you shouldn't concern yourself with me." Bayonetta answered. "You should be more worried about yourself."

" **B-But…compared to me…you look ready to collapse."**

"My magic will last me a few more hours before I need to recharge." The Umbra Witch reassured him as she looked over at Cloud. Her definition of recharge did include asking Cloud for assistance again. She wondered how the blond would react to this request. "I can use my magic to allow us to not get detected."

" **N-No…that's not…"** Corrin closed his mouth before making his statement firm. **"Bayonetta, you shouldn't be using up your magic before we confront Izana. You're going to be tired out if you're allowing us to be stealthy."**

"You shouldn't worry about something like that. Compared to my other spells, going into Purgatorio doesn't take much out of me at all."

" **R-Really?"**

"I've been hiding in Purgatorio ever since the witch hunts ended eighteen years ago." The Umbra Witch explained. "A normal human can't enter Purgatorio without someone's assistance. An angel could enter Purgatorio for one as well as a demon. Those who are trusted by angels could also enter…and then you got us witches who have no problem entering Purgatorio."

" **I see…"**

"Purgatorio was a place where angels and demons were meant to do battle. Times have changed, so now they rather do it out in the open…"

"… **You know Bayonetta…you didn't have to come along with us."**

Bayonetta stopped speaking. She glared at the dragon even though Corrin could not see the expression she was making at him.

" **If you're only coming along because of the pact, you don't need to. The pact shouldn't be forcing you to help me."**

"Corrin, if it was just the pact then I would have found ways around not helping you." Bayonetta reminded him with a sigh. "Besides…I have a score to settle with the Duke."

" **Oh…"**

"I'll let you three do all the work though since you are concerned for my health." The Umbra Witch said in a teasing tone causing Corrin's cheeks to turn red.

" **O-Of course I'm worried…"**

Corrin wanted to say more, but at that moment, Purgatorio would prove to not be a safe place for the group. Kamui and Cloud were rather silent in comparison to Corrin and Bayonetta. The dragon princess saw something heading their way and warned Corrin to be ready to move. A chain of light was swung in their direction with the intention of wrapping around one of the dragons. Kamui's reflexes were faster than Corrin's as she was able to glide out of the way. Corrin was not as lucky with the chains wrapping around his neck and wings and neck. He let out a terrible roar as he tried to break free from the shackles.

"CORRIN!" Bayonetta cried out as she intended to take the sword out of its sheath and cut the chains. However, it also grabbed her arm preventing her from moving. "Shoot…"

Cloud snarled seeing the chains immediately pull Corrin toward the pagoda at an alarming speed. Bayonetta could have probably tried to use her magic to shake free, but she risked falling off of Corrin. The dragon prince continued to struggle under the binds and its sticky nature. The shackles may have looked bright and hard, but it was too moist for his liking. Bayonetta clearly did not like the feeling on her arm, and Corrin didn't like the chains strangling him or binding his wings. He couldn't transform back in his current state.

"CORRIN! BAYONETTA!" Cloud screamed as he watched his friends get dragged away. "Kamui, chase after them!"

" **YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME TWICE!"** Kamui roared as she started to pursue her brother only to be stopped by a large angel that appeared before the duo after Corrin and Bayonetta were behind it. Compared to the angels that Christo summoned to attack Leon, this angel looked monstrous in comparison to the angel grunts. Kamui was disgusted with how this angel tried to look identical to a dragon. **"A TWO HEADED DRAGON ANGEL, REALLY?"** Kamui asked as she prepared to charge the angel. **"CLOUD, GET READY TO CUT THROUGH THIS THING!"**

"I know…just focus on keeping out of harm's way." Cloud told her. If they wanted to save Corrin and Bayonetta, they would need to kill this huge angel first. Hopefully, Corrin didn't do something stupid when he finally broke free from the chain.

* * *

Christo was truly a sleeping giant in terms of a fighter. He may not have looked like a powerful opponent, but he clearly had powers that Izana wished he could have. Even if Bayonetta was using her magic to keep everyone out of sight, Christo could still see where she was and capture Corrin and her accordingly.

Corrin let out a painful cry as Christo pulled him toward the top of the pagoda and slammed him into the ground. Bayonetta was lucky he didn't do the same thing to her. If he did, then he might have broken her arm with the angelic chain he had.

"Honestly, when you have the chance to run away, don't come back here." Christo hissed as he had every intention of slamming Corrin into the ground if he didn't move. "Izana still needs you two specifically. Why are you so dumb?!"

Corrin was forced to shift out of his dragon form. The chains were only tight on his body because he was a dragon. In human form, the binds loosened thus allowing the dragon prince breathing room. This meant he had to deal with Bayonetta sitting on top of him while he shifted back, but it's not like Bayonetta could get off of the dragon prince with the chain stuck to her arm and holding her in place.

Izana's evil chuckle echoed in their ears as he waited for Christo to release the duo from the chains.

"Heh-heh, Christo…you should be happy for these two being idiots." Izana started as he approached the turquoise haired angel. "You would have been dead if they didn't return."

Christo shivered at those words. Letting Corrin's group escape to the Outer Continent would have been the end of his life. Izana was merciless with people who have failed him as badly as that.

When Christo made the chains vanish into thin air, the Umbra Witch quickly got off of Corrin. The dragon prince groaned still feeling the pain of being slammed into the roof of the pagoda.

"The dumb prince will soon learn why he should have fled with the outsiders." Izana stated, waiting for Corrin to stand up.

"Grr…stop calling me stupid." Corrin hissed as he finally got off the ground. "I already heard you the first time. You don't need to tell me I'm dumb three times." The dragon prince dusted off the angelic dust that got on his armor before drawing the Yatogami from its sheath. "Bayonetta, please stand back. You need to conserve your strength."

The Umbra Witch wanted to engage in combat with Izana but knew she needed to save her strength. Izana was amused that Corrin wanted to fight him given his inexperience in combat.

"Oh, the prince is going to raise his sword against me? How amusing."

Corrin got into a battle stance as he prepared to charge Izana. He still needed to interrogate his mother's former friend before he decided to impale Izana through the chest.

"Izana, why are you doing this?" Corrin asked as he took a step forward. This would put him in front of Bayonetta in case Izana or Christo tried anything funny.

Izana wasn't interested in fighting Corrin at the moment. His attention was still to Bayonetta who had given him more trouble than the silver haired prince in front of him.

"Christo," Izana addressed as his angelic assistant flinched from being called upon. "Does the witch need to remain alive or do you still need her?"

Christo folded his arms in frustration. "It doesn't matter what I say. You will still try and murder her."

Bayonetta raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are you talking about the bounty on my head again?"

The Umbra Witch could only imagine what they wanted from her. Chances are that she was kept alive because they wanted to interrogate her on the Left Eye like Gantz tried to do.

"If you're not going to move…then I'll come at you!" Corrin declared not caring that Izana was most likely prepared for his approach.

"Corrin, wait!"

Bayonetta's warning was ignored in favor of trying to get the first hit. Corrin's anger toward Izana was stronger than he anticipated. Izana was fine with this rage seeing that Corrin was not thinking clearly. Izana was ready to fight him. He had multiple scrolls in his robes ready to use against Corrin.

"Now which spell should I cast on you? The rat? The ox? The rabbit? Or maybe I should use the dragon against you!"

Corrin should have known that Izana kept multiple scrolls with him depending on the enemy he faced. The Dragon Spirit as implied was good for dealing with dragons. The silver haired prince knew it was the one spell he needed to stay away from. Unfortunately for him, when Izana casted the spell successfully, it meant taking the blow head on in order to prevent the dragon spirit from hitting Bayonetta. He groaned at the immense pain just from blocking it.

"I'm not done with you, prince!" Izana yelled causing Corrin to flinch at how loud the duke was capable of being.

The red eyed prince made haste and charged toward Izana, hoping to hit the prophet before he could cast the next spell. The blond chuckled as he stepped out of Corrin's range when he swung his sword. Frustrated, he tried to swing again and missed. Izana then retaliated with a small spell of his own. Corrin was forced to dodge out of the way of the next dragon spirit if he didn't want to die. He tried to mix up his attack by attempting to turn his hand into a spear. Izana chuckled as he moved his head at the last minute to not be hurt. He smirked seeing the surprised look the dragon prince wore when he realized the terrible position he put himself in.

"Foolish dragon!" Izana began as he prepared to cast a spell again. "Do you think an inexperienced fighter like you can even hope of taking me on and winning? You are a fool if you think swinging a sword and hoping to hit will work."

At close range, there was nothing Corrin could do when he was hit by another dragon spirit. He yelped as he was sent backwards. Bayonetta rushed toward him with a worried expression on her face. Corrin snarled as he forced himself to stand up. He didn't want to make Bayonetta worry for him even though it was too late for that. _What do I do? I can't rely on Bayonetta to help me. If she fights, we lose our chance of escaping Izumo. Where is Sis when you need her?_

"If you're saying that one dragon can't take you down, why not two?!"

Izana gasped at the familiar voice. He glanced at the sky just in time to see another sword coming down on him. The duke was forced to step out of the way at the last minute to avoid being struck down.

"Christo, I thought the angel you sent out would handle her!"

The turquoise haired angel ignored his boss. He witnessed Cloud fall right next to Bayonetta. It was safe to assume that the blond swordsman was able to deal with the angel thanks to Kamui. Cloud wasn't looking all that hot though. Fighting the angel must have taken a lot out of him, so he chose to stay next to Bayonetta while Kamui helped her brother out dealing with Izana.

"You keep forgetting Kamui is a cockroach in comparison to Corrin." Christo mocked. "I guess I should be assisting you so you don't die too quickly."

Izana didn't want Christo's help if he was going to make an ass of himself. The pairing up was crucial when dealing with the dragon twins though. Kamui tried to get another quick hit in by transforming her hand into a spear meant to impale the duke. Christo was able to summon a binding spell that wrapped itself around Kamui's arm.

"You bastard!" Kamui cursed as she struggled to get her arm away from the angelic chains. "You're still protecting him after what he did to Anankos and Mikoto?! What kind of angel are you?!"

"One of a kind." Christo responded sarcastically as he tried to tighten the chains grip around her. Kamui was strong enough to break the chain though and forced herself to jump back. Corrin noticed his sister's movement and took a step back as well. "Now, I hope you two realize that you are way out of your lead."

"Says you." Kamui hissed as her spear turned back into her hand. "For an angel, you get pushed around by a non-believer."

"…And you're fighting for your mother that you didn't even know all of your life." Christo growled. He rolled his eyes even though he was very well affected by her words.

Kamui's temper was starting to show though. If Corrin wasn't right next to her, she would have lashed out at both of them.

"Sis, do you have good strategy with dealing with Izana?" Corrin asked. "I do believe we can ignore Christo."

"Of course we can. He can't do shit if Izana is dead." Kamui told him.

Christo's eyebrow twitched at the implication he can't do anything. If only Kamui understood how he felt about Mikoto's suicide would he be able to convince her that he wasn't exactly happy with his position. Izana noticed that Christo was affected by these words though. When the four engaged in combat, Christo resorted to only healing and blocking thus giving the idea that this would be a long battle seeing as how the two dragons were unprepared.

Kamui wanted to overwhelm Izana with her skill and power, but Corrin could see that the best way to attack him was to outsmart him. The dragon prince whispered to Kamui to focus on the scrolls he was holding to cast his magic spells. The dragon princess served as a distraction when she would suddenly charge in and try to claw at either enemy. Corrin used this distraction to slip behind Izana in an attempt to stab him. Corrin missed his chance but he managed to stab the duke in the arm. The action nearly caused him to drop his sword.

"Curse you…" the duke hissed. "You need to burn."

" **DON'T FORGET ME!"**

Christo had jumped away to avoid being mauled by Kamui. As a result, Kamui had managed to claw at Izana's face when he tried to attack her brother. Izana snarled when he felt the sharp claw ruin his cheek. Blood dripped down onto his robes as he casted a fire spell. Kamui wasn't effective by the fire as much as Izana wanted. A water dragon was not going to die from a fire spell that easily unless he or she was in human form. Christo forced Kamui to fall back by casting his ice spell on her instead. This was only more effective than fire because he aimed at her wings.

Corrin tried to take advantage of the situation again and morphed into his dragon form. He tackled Izana away from his sister when he was going to cast again. Christo refused to hit Corrin with his magic. Instead he casted the ice spell on Kamui again and made sure to freeze her face. Kamui let out a stunned roar as she slammed her face into the ground to break the ice. Some bruises would be left as a result of the action. Transforming back into his human form, the dragon prince hurried to his sister with his staff in hand and patch her up.

"Sis, please don't be reckless." Corrin scolded, causing her to groan.

"This is taking forever…" She growled. "If Christo wasn't in the way…"

"I still have an idea on how to kill Izana." Corrin told her. "Just wait for my signal again and we'll strike."

Christo rolled his eyes at how much Izana was struggling with the dragon twins. Corrin may have been an inexperienced fighter, but if he combined his wit with Kamui's strength, then it wouldn't matter how little knowledge he had in combat if Kamui was capable of backing him up. Corrin's luck was showing as he got a few more lucky hits in with his Yatogami.

"You may be my boss, but you're not a great fighter or planner as I am." Christo snarked to himself. He looked over to Cloud and Bayonetta who were waiting for Kamui to give the signal to attack if the situation called for it. "I guess I need to trap you two in order for my boss to have the advantage."

Christo's binding spells were incredibly fast. If Bayonetta was at full strength, she would have been able to counter him quickly. Instead, her attempts to warn Cloud came too late. Cloud let out a shocked gasp when the chains bounded him in place. He couldn't move his hand much less his buster sword. Bayonetta was put in the same position but Christo specifically chained her hands behind her back so she wouldn't try anything funny. The abrupt pain she felt from the angelic bindings caused her to yelp at the discomfort.

Corrin stopped his next sword swing when he heard Bayonetta's sudden cry.

"Bayonetta?!"

"Corrin, focus!"

Izana smirked when Christo gave him the opportunity to strike back. Kamui wondered when the duke switched his scroll out for a different spell. Whatever he chanted was enough to blow them away from him. Kamui tried to shift into her dragon form, but she was too slow to do so. If she attempted it, she would have let go of her dragonstone. The silver haired princess and her twin were sent flying toward the angelic chains that bonded Cloud and Bayonetta. Christo wasted no time grabbing them with his chains before they landed thus leaving them in an awkward position. Kamui was strong enough to stand up despite her bindings but it was still a bad situation to be in.

"Shit…" She cursed.

Corrin groaned when he felt the angelic chains wrap around him. There was no way for him to escape it.

Izana chuckled once he saw he had his four targets right where he wanted them. As long as Christo held them down, he was free to murder them.

"I will not let an outsider or anyone else interfere with my plan." Izana began as he specifically addressed Cloud.

"A plan to throw the Invisible Continent into the ocean? That sounds like a great plan that will get you killed." Cloud snarled. "And I want no part of that!"

"You, Cloud Strife, are the reason the world is in danger from your meddling." Izana hissed. "Outsiders were always a problem, but you have delayed my plan time and time again."

Christo raised an eyebrow at this. The turquoise haired angel had only been around for two years, so there was only so much he would know.

"The little goat did remind me I would run into some trouble when trying to save the Outer Continent."

"…Goat?" Christo asked. This was the first time he heard of a goat being mentioned. He assumed it was a goat demon of some sort from the Outer Continent.

"There is a goat with the ability to see the future on the Outer Continent. He's more accurate than any other person there, but because he sees nothing but darkness befalling us all, he has been shunned and ridiculed. I decided to lend a helping hand to him and I learned so much from engaging in a conversation with this boy."

 _Boy, huh?_ Christo thought to himself. He needed to make a mental note to himself on who Izana could have possibly spoken to. This kid sounded like the main reason the blond prophet went over the deep end. Corrin thought the same thing too with how Izana spoke.

"The goat told me that the only way to ensure that the Dark and Earth Dragon don't return to their original glory, all of the remaining dragons have to be wiped out before the awakening. If I could get rid of the Invisible Dragons on the Invisible Continent, he would deal with the remaining dragons on the Outer Continent." He laughed bitterly when he recalled something else. "One dragon's death is all that is needed for swaying the balance between the Earth and the Dark dragon, but the boy is having difficulties dealing with the three dragons on the Outer Continent. One dragon is heavily guarded by the most powerful warriors imaginable…and her kingdom is a realm of fantasy. One dragon is too violent that approaching him would spell a death sentence. And you got the last dragon that lives in isolation to the point that people question if this dragon even existed."

Clearly, this conversation was going over everyone's head but Christo. Not everyone was informed of the dragon lore that was going on the Outer Continent. Cloud should have had an idea on what was going on, but he looked just as lost as Corrin.

"My side of the mission should have been easy. The Invisible Dragon wanted to live in peace and quiet. All I needed to do was kill Anankos and his daughter and my mission would have been achieved. I could have achieved that too had the queen not given birth to twins."

This part at least made sense. Anankos was the original dragon and the only way for the Invisible bloodline to continue was to continue reproducing with others. While Lilith's other parent was still unknown to this day, Anankos falling in love with Mikoto and giving birth to Corrin and Kamui were not part of the plan. It wouldn't even be a surprise if Izana set things up to kill Mikoto before she gave birth to twins.

"I would have dealt with you two when you were born." Izana started as he glared at the dragon twins. "However, Anankos and Mikoto made an agreement that in order to protect you two so the same thing that happened to Lilith will never happen again…they separated you from birth. Anankos took his daughter and a few of Mikoto's retainers to flee to Valla. Mikoto stayed with her son and the remaining retainers and pretended that she only gave birth to one child."

Corrin shook his head in disbelief. The way Izana worded it made it seem like the separation was calculated. Anankos and Mikoto clearly did not want to part ways from each other. The Queen of Izumo continued to suffer for the next eighteen years without her husband, but she did her best to hide her pain to the people.

"I needed to bide my time though. Anankos and his daughter would have popped out of their hole eventually if Izumo was ever in any trouble. The problem came from you, Corrin."

"What?! Why me?!"

"You never left your mother's side. You never wanted to leave your house. You were such a shut in that it took too much effort for you to even come out. I wanted to murder you time and time again with your attitude problem." Izana scowled when he said this. Corrin had no idea that Izana always resented him this much. "However, I was forced to wait for your coming of age ceremony. It would be rash of me to off you when people were expecting terrible things to happen. Besides…" He smiled evilly that sent shivers down Corrin's spine. "I struck a deal with Macbeth about you. He always took an interest in you as a child. Then you had a growth spurt and became as beautiful as your mother. He simply couldn't stop staring at you. Even if everyone disapproved of his obsession toward you, he knew he wanted you and the kingdom of Izumo to rule."

Corrin was glad that Macbeth was dead. The evil tactician had always been a creeper and Izana was just verifying that claim.

"He really was in a tight situation. He may have been Nohr's tactician, but King Garon would not easily be fooled by him. King Garon's children would make sure that Macbeth would never get his way. That's why Leon had to die."

"You bastard…" Corrin snarled as he tried to break free of the chains. Again, he was reminded that it was pointless to struggle with the bounds and that he needed to wait for an opportunity to attack him.

"Regardless, we both knew we needed to be patient. Mikoto would have to marry into either the Hoshidan or Nohrian family when you turned eighteen. Her rights to the kingdom of Izumo would be gone. We also knew that because of how you loved to shut yourself from the world that you would not have the skills required to rule the people of Izumo and make the other kingdoms happy. No one likes an inexperienced ruler after all."

The silver haired prince wondered how exactly Izana and Macbeth took advantage of him for eighteen years. Corrin made sure that he stayed far away from Macbeth as possible. Izana was a different story. He looked up to the Duke of Izumo, so he obviously listened to many things he told him…

"W-Wait…you're not insinuating…"

"Because Macbeth wanted you alive, I would need to find a way to prevent you from learning about your heritage. I suggested to Mikoto that she should wait until adulthood to tell you that you are an Invisible Dragon. It's a shame she died before she could tell you that."

"…It can't be…"

"Because I suggested that she lay off on telling you the truth, I advocated for you to be raised as something else besides a prince. You were going to have difficulties ruling from the get go. Mikoto may have believed in some things that would clearly hinder you, but of course I take credit for being the reason why you were raised the way you were raised. I made sure you would never have a weapon to protect yourself, made sure you were a healer instead of a fighter and I suggested to the people who knew you that you would be best suited for marriage when you became an adult. They interpreted this as finding a cute, influential woman to marry, but it also meant someone like Macbeth could sweep you off your feet."

Corrin remained silent afterwards. By absorbing the words Izana was saying, he was certain that he would go insane the longer he listened to him. Kamui was just as horrified as he was with these revelations but tried to keep a strong front.

"…Imagine if everything went according to plan. If I wanted to avoid murdering you Corrin for the sake of Macbeth, you would not have known your dragon heritage. You would continue being a meek prince that was incapable of making decisions for himself. Without your powers, you would not have been a threat to me." Izana shook his head in annoyance as he glared back to Cloud again. "But outsiders like you are the reason why my plans went haywire in the first place."

"…I'm honored." Cloud answered in a witty tone. "I prevented you from turning my friends into puppets."

"Grrrr…because of your refusal to die in that second war that was meant to wipe out everyone from the Outer Continent, I had to delay my plans for two years! Your interference made me believe that Anankos and Kamui had been long since killed in the attack Macbeth and I set up! If you had just died during that ambush, then everything would have gone perfectly!"

Izana was stomping his foot like a child throwing a temper tantrum now. Cloud had no problem making it worse for him. However, he had to recall which incident he was talking about. The thief had so many close calls that he couldn't keep track of them all. One incident did stand out over the rest though and it did include a certain Umbran Witch.

"That's what happens when you don't wipe out an entire clan on the first try." Cloud told him in a mocking tone. Despite this, Cloud was ready to break out of the chains if the Duke of Izumo even considered attacking Bayonetta.

"Oh yes, the other nuisance that should have died during the Witch Hunt." Izana snarled. Bayonetta kept a straight face, but the Duke knew that the raven haired witch reacted at the mention of the Witch Hunt. "The only reason you escaped my vision was because I relied on the inquisition to execute all the witches on the Outer Continent. I don't know how you were able to avoid detection until you became too powerful for the average person to take down, but the moment you decided to show your pretty face, you had decided to scare everyone into believing you're more powerful than you actually are. I don't know if I should be impressed or disgusted."

"I would think you would be impressed." Bayonetta hummed. "My textile shop wasn't too far away from the pagoda. I could have been making your clothes for all you know, and you didn't even consider walking out to see me after what you did to my clan."

Izana bit his tongue at her words. Truth be told, he was worried for Bayonetta's growing power as well. Over time, she had hardened her heart after the loss of her clan. Without anyone to turn to, it was harder to put her in a situation that could potentially kill her. While meeting Cloud only caused more problems for Izana, it also opened Bayonetta up to weaknesses she thought she didn't have. It was the only reason he was able to strike her now.

"I was too busy switching my plan up." Izana finally answered her. "I could have visited you on the night of the banquet after I killed the queen and her son, but again…outside interferences just love pushing back my plan."

This time, it was a reference to Shulk and Tiki. If they didn't arrive on the continent, Kamui would not have been given the warning about her twin brother's death. By simply warning Cloud and Bayonetta about the prince's life being in danger, it triggered a chain of events that prevented Izana from killing Corrin the same night as Mikoto. If those siblings were not at the crime scene or if Corrin's dragon blood wasn't already activating, things would have been different. Izana knew at this point that it was always miscalculation after miscalculation because the opponents he faced were outside of the oracles that Izana could see. Shulk and Tiki could defy a future by simply changing something in that current time. By keeping certain people alive who were good at altering the course of action, it forced Izana to lay low until the day of the attempted execution on the remaining AVALANCHE members. That was the day that allowed things to go back on track…until today.

The blond prophet chuckled as he stared the group down with a look that would have been able to turn them all to stone if he had that power. "My biggest regret is letting you all run freely to the point where things got too out of hand. There is a difference between being patient and being too lazy to stop something that is already set in motion."

Izana was prepared to finish the entire group off with a fire spell that would burn them all to a crisp. He smiled evilly at the expression Bayonetta gave him as a small flame appeared before him for a moment.

"When all four of you are out of the way, my role as the savior of the Outer Continent will be done!"

Izana let out an evil laugh when he said this. Christo tapped his foot impatiently lamenting how cliché this rant was starting to become. Perhaps, it was time to end this little charade…

"Are you finally done talking about yourself and your flawed plans?"

Christo finally had enough of Izana up until this point. He let the prophet ramble on about how his plans were going smoothly until X and Y happened and how he had to fix things now before everything went out of hand. In Christo's mind, Izana was already done by allowing the Invisible Dragons to even engage him in a conversation (if that was what you wanted to call it).

"…If you're done talking Izana, I would like to pick a part your argument now."

Izana was far from pleased with Christo's haughty attitude at the moment. He was already growing weary of the angel with his small defiant acts that have caused things to sway in Corrin's favor in some shape or form. The way Christo was glowing gave Izana the impression that he intended to either attack him or break the bonds that kept his captives in place.

"Oh? You have another absurd theory now of all times?" Izana asked in a dark tone. The humor in his voice was gone at his subordinate's interruption, and it nearly caused Christo to back down. The turquoise haired angel had it up to here though.

"If you ask me, killing the Invisible Dragons will only delay the inevitable. It won't stop the resurrection of the other two dragons. You wouldn't know that since you would be dead with the rest of the Invisible Continent. You would believe that you had done justice for everyone when it only made things worse in the long run."

Izana clearly did not want to hear about the consequences of his actions. Christo had activated a barrier spell at that moment, so whatever magic attack the long haired prophet had for him, he clearly wasn't going to hit him while he was still talking.

"This is how I see it. Suppose you got rid of the prince and princess of the Invisible Continent right now. The continent would sink and that would be two less dragons to deal with. There will still be an imbalance when the earth and dark dragon awaken from their slumber. Should the "good" dragons not have the power to fight them, there will be a clear imbalance should they decide to side with either dragon. By killing a potential wild card, you are dooming the Outer Continent to a better outcome."

"Those two as wild cards? You've been gambling way too long for me for you to throw that term out."

"It's not as ridiculous as you think." Christo told him as he adjusted his glasses. "You believe that Corrin and Kamui…Corrin specifically will bring the world to ruin unless you get rid of him now. I think the opposite. I think Corrin will be the one to save us all."

Izana had to laugh at that. Christo scowled at how his "friend" dismissed his opinion. Izana acted like he cared for Christo's insight but despite being a heavenly being, did not even think twice of dismissing his assistant.

Corrin also couldn't believe it. Christo was just some quirky assistant to his mother's former friend. Why was he a messiah all of a sudden? It made no sense when he just found out not too long ago that he was a dragon, and dragons were known for their destructive behavior.

"What are you saying?" Corrin asked wearingly. "You're just making stuff up…"

"I am an angel who thinks outside of the box." Christo said as a matter of fact statement before continuing. "However, while I believe there is no hope for the Invisible Continent without Anankos, I believe that you can actually complete the task that the Outer Continent leaders want you to do. They've been waiting for the Invisible Dragon to save them for years now and the time is…now!"

The moment "now" escaped Christo's lips was the moment when Christo had effectively shattered the chains that bound Corrin's group. Those chains were then directed at Izana after he finished casting a fire spell that failed to hit Christo because of the barrier he put up. Izana was surprised at how strong the chains are. It should have been expected that these angelic chains were strong if they were able to hold down giant demons that plagued the area not too long ago. Christo may have been a healer more than a fighter, but his strength came from in being underhanded to his opponent.

"So, when I'm close to confirming my own theory, you decide to betray me and shut off any chances of saving the Outer Continent." Izana snarled. He would have to wait for the chains to weaken before he could strike. However Christo was not going to let that happen.

"You forget I'm a messenger from heaven." Christo reminded him. He smirked when he said this. "We judge people based on their actions. I may have been your lapdog for two years, but I was still evaluating you on your actions. I may (take out "may") have gotten my hands dirty for you in the name of justice, yet you still have crossed the line. I thought I could avoid stepping in and ending your life. That clearly isn't the case."

Christo had to admit that he did wanted Corrin or Bayonetta to end Izana's life so he wouldn't have to, but the Umbra Witch was still weak from all the events that had occurred this day. If she was at full power, she would be able to take the Duke of Izumo, but as it stood now, she was only going to get herself killed. As for Corrin, the dragon prince was still hesitating and that was why he was tied up in the chains in the first place.

"Cloud," Christo started directing his attention toward the mercenary due to the content. "You need to take these three to safety. Meet up with Sir Shulk and escape to the Outer Continent. I'm certain he will tell you what to do afterwards."

"…But we have to go through the forest." Cloud hissed as he brushed off the angelic sparkles that were left from the chains. "You know how long that takes? The Hoshidan and Nohrian army are still in the forest. If we're on a timer…then we're not going to make it."

That was when Cloud remembered that Shulk expected Bayonetta to summon one of her demons and take them all to the dock. They would be able to fly over all the soldiers that were fighting down below and then reach the dock before they could even think of pursuing them. The problem stemmed again from Bayonetta being too tired to perform the summoning correctly. One wrong move and she could potentially lose control of her demon. Unlike Madama Butterfly who promised to obey her until her enemies were killed, Bayonetta could not connect with the other demons emotionally. They were easier to control, but it meant that there was no bargaining with them.

"The Umbra Witch will need to start trusting her summoning demons now because that's the only way you four will be able to meet Sir Shulk without trouble." Christo told him. "I'm sure you have a demon that could fly you all over."

Bayonetta paled at the mention of summoning her demons. She shook her head in annoyance while giving Christo an exasperated look.

"Are you saying that Shulk's group ran through the entire forest with that army in the way and is already at the port?" Bayonetta asked Christo. "I find that very hard to believe."

Christo folded his arms in irritation. He could explain to Bayonetta how Shulk was able to get to point A to point B relatively quickly, but that required too much effort. Shulk could easily explain to her how he was able to move around, but he clearly didn't bother to talk about the Monado. That sword was capable of so much from increasing the damage on his opponent to creating a protective barrier. The sword was also capable of increasing the speed of the people around Shulk. Crucial information like this explained would have made things simpler, but it was Shulk, so Christo had to grin and bear it.

"He has the power to get everyone to where they need to be." Christo answered. "You need to get your friends over to the dock as soon as possible."

Bayonetta didn't respond to his request. She sighed again, realizing that she didn't have much of a choice. Corrin saw how uneasy she looked and tried to comfort her.

"Bayonetta, I'm sure the summoning will turn out alright." Corrin reassured her. He resisted the urge to rub her back though seeing that she was feeling uneasy. "If you need some energy from the pact, I'm willing to help."

"I'll be fine, dear." The raven haired witch replied rather quickly. "I loathe the idea that most of these demons besides Madama Butterfly cannot communicate with me."

Clearly, she was scared of the summons going out of control even when there was hope that things would turn out okay. Kamui wanted to say something, but Cloud beat her to it.

"Bayonetta, you'll be fine. Compared to when we first met, you've grown strong." Cloud smirked when he saw Bayonetta's expression falter. "I'll just beat up the demon for you if they try to take your soul."

The Umbra Witch really didn't want to summon a demon with what little magic she had left. Even if the demon obeyed her, what would happen if she ran out of magic before they even reached the dock? Then they would be caught in the middle of the battle and the probability of death would be much higher. Cloud didn't think it would be a problem though and she could always fall back on Corrin's deal for the huge boost.

"…Give me space to work with." Bayonetta told the trio as she made sure that Cloud understood what she meant. He ordered the dragon twins to stand back so the Umbra Witch could have room to summon her demon. Because Christo put up a barrier that was meant to shelter everyone behind it, it would prevent Bayonetta from being interrupted when she was summoning her demon. A small dance was needed before she started chanting in a foreign tongue that Corrin did not recognize. He assumed that her chant was related to the Umbran Witches as they needed a specific wording to summon a specific demon.

"A GRA ORS!"

A red summoning circle appeared in front of the Umbra Witch. A gigantic black raven started to emerge from the circle. It had four blue eyes (one was bigger than the other three), sharp red talons, elegant red wings and three long tails. The raven also had a necklace of skulls around its neck and red crescent moon pieces through its forehead.

Cloud wasn't all that surprised that the demon looked like that. It was almost like he was used to seeing a summoned creature. Meanwhile, Corrin and Kamui were surprised (and somewhat scared) of the demon Bayonetta called upon.

"We're riding that bird, right?" Kamui asked. "We're not going to fall off it."

"It will be fine." Cloud reassured her. "Bayonetta can handle it."

Bayonetta felt a cold sweat already from summoning the demon. She needed to concentrate if she wanted to keep the raven demon under control.

"Malphas, hope you don't mind giving these lovely people a lift."

The raven let out a large caw as a response. Bayonetta hoped that meant that the raven demon was letting the Umbra Witch use it to transport them. The Umbra Witch needed to get on first just to make sure that the bird wouldn't take off without her. Kamui would think it would make more sense if everyone got on first, and Bayonetta last, but she didn't understand how these demons worked so she just went along with what Bayonetta was doing. Cloud would have the dragon twins get on the giant bird's back after he assisted Bayonetta get on Malphas. The blond ignored how Bayonetta had to use her hair in order to summon Malpha in the first place. This meant that she would be mostly naked for the trip. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too embarrassed. It would have made more sense if Kamui was the one holding onto her, but Cloud trusted Corrin to support Bayonetta while the mercenary took the rear. The Umbra Witch forced herself to ignore Corrin's closeness when he sat behind her.

"I think that's everyone." Christo said with a sigh of relief. He was glad this wasn't taking too long. The barrier was going to shatter soon and then Izana was going to let loose unless Christo killed him as soon as possible. "I don't think being in Purgatorio will affect how fast you go. Just be careful. A storm is brewing."

Cloud still didn't trust Christo. What he did know was that Christo clearly was willing to help them out this time. If they were to encounter him again, they still needed to keep their guard up. On the other hand, Corrin seemed to forget that Christo was still technically a villain and thanked him.

"Thank you for helping us…you didn't need to."

Christo rolled his eyes at Corrin's kindness. It was identical to Mikoto's and it was completely unneeded. "I-I…am an angel. I am always on the side of justice and will always be neutral!"

Bayonetta wasn't convinced that angels were neutral at all. She had no right to judge at the moment when she needed to focus on getting everyone to safety.

"I'll see you four on the Outer Continent." Christo told them with a cocky smile on his face. "As an angel, it's very easy to travel from one place to another…especially when their mission is complete."

Cloud wanted to ask him what the hell he was talking about, but they needed to leave immediately. Bayonetta wasted no time ordering Malphas to take off before Izana could even cast another spell that could potentially hurt her or her summon. The raven demon obeyed as it let out a loud caw before soaring off away from the pagoda.

As the group started to fly away, the chains slowly started to loosen on Izana. When they finally disappeared, he futilely ran after the large demon. He was ready to make sure that his prey didn't leave his sight.

"Wait!" Izana hissed as he casted fires spell meant for the fleeing group. Christo used his ice magic to hit the spell, knowing full well that the icicles would be melted by the flames. Christo stood in between Izana and Corrin's group, ready to take him down. "Stop getting in my way, you traitorous angel!"

Christo's response to those words was to hover into the air. A magic symbol appeared behind him for everyone to see. Christo murmured something in the angelic language as a powerful light started to form in the palm of his hands.

"I hope you know, Izana, that there will be no hard feelings." Christo told him in a rather monotone voice. "I was saving this special attack just for you."

Izana paused before realizing what Christo was going to do. Christo was still a powerful angel despite being pushed around. There was a saying that if you treat your assistants with disrespect then you shouldn't be surprised when they came back and stabbed you in the back. Izana was so focused on trying to reach his goal that he failed to realize that Christo could mess him up like he did Crimson.

"Unbelievable, you would use that attack on me even at the risk of endangering the people of Izumo…" Izana spoke. Christo could hear the shakiness in his voice but assumed he was faking it.

"You weren't someone to care for the people of Izumo in the first place." Christo reiterated. "Surely, the lives of a few people don't matter for angels like me when you pose a greater threat to everyone."

Christo's hands were already stained with blood. A few more deaths would not hurt his status in heaven. Once Corrin's group reached the Outer Continent, the mission would be completed. As a result, Christo took the risk of unleashing his most powerful attack on Izana and the area around the pagoda.

"GOSPEL OF POWER!"

An energy beam released from his hands at an alarming rate. Izana's eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was going to die the moment the move hit. There was no way to react to it due to the speed of the attack. Once the attack hit, a massive explosion occurred that engulfed the top of the pagoda before absorbing the entire building. Anyone that was still in the building would be caught up in the attack. Anyone near the pagoda would also be killed. It was a spectacle to behold. People who weren't near the pagoda screamed at the sudden blast of light in the area destroying one of the most well-known places in Izumo. If Corrin's group looked back, they would see that the tallest structure was being brought down by the turquoise haired angel. It would surely alert the people who were leaving Valla of the attack that went on while they were dealing with Anankos and the Vallites.

Christo sighed as he watched the explosion continue even after he finished the attack. Despite its destructive power, it simply wasn't enough for him. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to damage someone that wasn't a fragile human like Izana.

"…I need to head back to the church." Christo thought grimly to himself as he started to float away from the destruction he caused. "I need to pick up the soul of the prince that has fallen in battle as a gift to the Goddess. Maybe she'll welcome him as a guest of honor…"

* * *

 **Me: TBC with 9879 words.**

 **Li: And the angel finally bites back.**

 **Me: Christo was going to do that eventually. Notes!  
**

 **1\. Purgatorio might seem like a last minute reference, but I feel this is kind of important for how Bayonetta could survive for eighteen years. A normal human cannot see a witch if she remains here, but she has to deal with angels and demons instead. The problem though is the monsters in the realm have "escaped" Purgatorio. If a normal human can't enter that hidden realm, then anyone who is living in it is safe. It caused Bayonetta great isolation until she grew strong enough to be able to deal with anyone who got in her way, but the point is Izana simply could not deal with it either since he did not have any way of chasing after her.**

 **2\. Izana's rant might seem like he's gone over the deep end, but his words are something to look out for. Who in The Witch and the Hundred Knight has yet to make a cameo? All the witches from that game are dead but not anyone else (besides the royal family and the inquisitors). Look for a character later on who is a goat demon and a prophet. If you know who this character is, it is easier to understand why Izana would possibly go insane with his prophecy.**

 **3\. I'm hoping the readers will guess who the other three dragons are. The goat prophet is referring to the light, fire and ice dragon (as the dark and earth dragons are considered evil). Tiki is pretty much confirmed to be the light dragon though leading to who represents the fire and ice dragon. And no, do not guess Roy for either of them.**

 **4\. Christo is stated to have absurd theories and does extreme things to get the job done. This is a test for him, and Christo made up his own theory on what he thinks should happen to the dragons. There are only two things that can happen. Either the good dragons team up against the evil dragons and win or they split up into fractions and only one evil dragon can win. Izana thinks that by destroying one dragon bloodline that the entire lore will be nullified. Christo does not believe something as simple as destroying Anankos' bloodline could not possibly save the Outer Continent. Christo hesitates mainly because he needs to think about how absurd Izana is being before deciding to be optimistic and believing that Corrin can indeed save everyone by reuniting all the dragons…and perhaps doing something unbelievable like purifying the dark and dragon.**

 **5\. Malphas is the raven demon that Bayonetta summons in the first game. In the second game, she takes the wings of Malphas and uses that for the flying sections. I wanted to show that yes, Bayonetta has the other demons at her disposal but never summons them in fear of them betraying her like she thinks Madama Butterfly to do. Which brings me to the next note…**

 **6\. The Disgaea cast is overpowered. It should not be a surprise that Christo can one-shot Izana after the build up to this confrontation. This can be explained though from everyone being exhausted for the past few days. Bayonetta cannot fight and expect to be able to summon if she were to fight Izana. Corrin doesn't know how to fight hence why it's so one-sided. Cloud would have been able to take on Izana, but he too had been fighting most of the day and logically would not have the strength either. It would leave Kamui who had the most time to rest herself up for battle, but even she wouldn't be able to take on Izana. This leaves Christo who was intentionally holding back due to his status as an angel. Since I'm using the theory that Christo is Lamington in his youth, he's already an overpowered angel that is constantly bullied by the higher ups because he's too strong for them to control. Christo already has absurd theories that go beyond angel thinking and even thinks like a demon at times. What better way to add insult to injury than for him to be so powerful that he can kill someone who you would think was his friend for two years? Christo's mission is clearly more important in this AU than his mission in Disgaea 5 canon. I should bring up that the lack of the Disgaea 5 cast to soften him does prevent him from being more sympathetic from canon, but given who I intend to show off in the sequel as the next Disgaea 5 character…I think we can say that his killing spree will stop.**

 **That's it. Reviews are appreciated. We are now on the final stretch of the story. Next chapter is the epilogue and the end of the Invisible Continent arc. Ja ne!**


	21. His Choice

**Crown of Ruin**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo. The only characters I own are those from the Golden Land, angels from Skyworld including the royal bodyguards, Angel Assembly and archangels along with all the other angels and of course the witch hunters.**

 **Summary: Cloud was just a mercenary that resorted to thievery when the job went sour. Bayonetta was a witch in disguise of a pauper waiting for the chance to go wild on the humans she looked down on. The two would cross paths often in the city of Izumo. Things would change the both of them when the ruler of the neutral fraction Mikoto ends up dead and the main suspect is her only son Corrin. Seeing this as an opportunity, both jump to protect the scared prince unaware of the politics going on behind the scenes.**

 **Pairing: Cloud/Corrin/Bayonetta, Sumeragi/Mikoto/Garon,** **Volga/Kamui/Azura and others to be added**

 **Rated: M (for mature) but E on Archive of Our Own (for any sex scenes)**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Humor and Angst**

 **Warning: Sexual violence, extreme violence, character death, polygamy (OT3), blackmail, sexual themes and unintentional OOC**

 **This is based on a Tumblr prompt from the AU Prompts.** _ **Character A is a thief with kleptomania, Character B is a pauper that makes money from sewing and tailoring clothes, and Character C is the only child of a nobility figure. When Character C finds their family's reputation is ruin, the unlikely trio is brought together to protect Character C's right to the throne – and their life.**_ **Enjoy!**

Epilogue: His Choice

* * *

Cloud was relieved that the group was almost home free. Once they met up with Shulk's group, they would be taken away from the Invisible Continent and back to a more stable environment. The mercenary was ready to go home after being stranded with his friends for two years, and he would be able to bring the people he cared for back with him.

In contrast to Cloud keeping a positive attitude about this situation, Corrin was livid. His resolve wavered the moment he found out the truth of his mother's death and it went downhill from there. There wasn't an appeal to leave with Cloud originally, but he never felt so strongly about leaving until now but not for the same reason as Cloud. Leon was dead and everyone would think he struck the Nohrian prince down along with Macbeth. This would be seen as a crime as their deaths happened in the church. Zero may have been able to carry Leon's body away, but he would have to report to King Garon regardless. Zero's words would not be trusted and his fate would be unknown given his criminal record. Nohr would never look to Izumo (and by proxy, Hoshido) as an ally ever again.

Cloud had yet to tell Corrin that Hoshido might not see Corrin or the kingdom of Izumo in a positive light either. Because of Christo, Gantz and Zora, Hinoka's retainers were also dead. Hinoka's fate was unknown even if the mercenary told her to leave the cell. He did not know if she would be dead or alive by the time anyone would find her. The Hoshidan princess was strong-willed but even someone like her needed to grieve. Cloud did question if this was a good time to mourn for the loss of her retainers. Even if she did escape, she might tell Sumeragi that Nohr did this to her. There would be no way to explain the situation if Nohr was accused of such treachery.

That didn't even start with Izana who was most likely dead. Cloud was certain that Christo was the type of angel who cast judgement upon those he hated. The turquoise haired angel would need to murder Izana anyway if he wanted to keep his status as an angel in check. Izana deserved to be murdered, but the people of Izumo did not know that the once airheaded duke was no more. The blame would be placed on Corrin with all the misfortunes and deaths that had recently occurred.

Anankos's death was the breaking point for the Invisible Continent as a whole. The water dragon stabilized the continent and prevented natural disasters from ever befalling the kingdoms. If his children leave the continent, nothing but despair and ruin would be left. Kamui had no reason to be on the continent anymore now that she knew her father was dead and her kingdom was being destroyed at this very moment. Corrin had the same mindset except he did not want to live in the aftermath of all the chaos around him. He wasn't a strong individual and he never will be, especially if he decided to take a step on the boat that would whisk him away from this nightmare.

Tink was ready to leave. The location he was at was becoming hectic. Because he was near the ocean, the waves started to rush toward the nearby town. Lower areas of said town were already getting flooded and the water level was already rising. Tink was used to conditions like this and made sure his boat was prepared for this task. However the ship would not be able to handle the rapid currents if it continued to remain at the dock. The group needed to leave now!

The Hero of Winds was growing impatient. Shulk's group eventually made it out of the forest but without the two dragons they came here for. Instead, the young boy glanced at Volga in confusion. Where had he seen this man before?

"So, where are the dragons?" Tink asked. "I hope you didn't fail your mission!"

"…They're coming." Tiki told Tink. "Please get everyone on the ship. We will leave when the four get here."

"Four?"

"Corrin, Kamui, Cloud and Bayonetta. We will not leave without these four."

"Okay…I hope they hurry."

Tink wouldn't have to worry too much though. As he was getting the ladies (and Ava) to board the ship first, Shulk caught sight of a huge black creature flying their way. When the blond talked about the summon, he expected Bayonetta to conquer her fear and get the thing out to help everyone. He smiled seeing that she was able to get over her phobia just to skip the forest section.

There was one huge problem. Bayonetta had run out of magic at this point and was overexerting herself. The sweat continued to pour from her cheeks as her vision began to blur. The bird was starting to swoop before they even reached their destination. Corrin was quick to grab her hand. Cloud grabbed her shoulder and shook her slightly.

"Bayonetta, you need to stay awake! We're almost there!" Cloud yelled. "Bayonetta!"

"…You think I would…fall asleep…before the end?" She hissed. "Dammit…just a little more…"

The demon was rather kind to Bayonetta despite her inability to control her anymore. The summon managed to land right in front of Tink and any other person who has yet to board his ship. It vanished almost instantly and Bayonetta collapsed soon after. Cloud caught her before she fell to the pavement.

"H-Hey! Get a hold of yourself! Bayonetta!"

"…Get her on board." Cloud could hear Shulk order him. "We will treat her once we leave."

"…I got her." Kamui told Cloud as she made him transfer the Umbra Witch over to the dragon princess. She was a powerful girl, so she would be able to carry the Umbra Witch with ease. "…Watch my brother, please."

Cloud nodded his head as Kamui tried to rush Bayonetta over. Corrin noticed that because Bayonetta ran out of magic, whatever she was keeping in her hair was starting to fall out. This was why it was important to keep her awake so the other dimension she used to keep her items wouldn't suddenly spill out. The dragon prince was rather surprised that the crown meant for him fell out of her hair. He quickly reached for it and dusted it off. He scowled just looking at it.

"Corrin…are you sure this is okay?" Cloud asked him. "Your kingdom needs you, but you have no problem going with us."

The dragon prince remained silent to Cloud's question. He waited for everyone else to board the Red Lion ship until it was just him, Cloud and Tink as the last people. Tink couldn't stand being on shaky ground and rushed onto his ship while ordering the remaining males to get onboard.

"I…"

"CORRIN!"

"CORRIN, WE FOUND YOU!"

Cloud's heart sank hearing those voices. Of all the times he didn't want them showing up, why now of all times?

"Ryoma?! Marx?! How did you two…" Corrin cut himself off realizing how stupid the question was. These two always knew where Corrin was even when he didn't tell them where he was going. If they left Valla and saw the big black bird in the sky with him on it, of course they would pursue them. Bayonetta wasn't going as fast as she would have liked, so it gave Ryoma and Marx plenty of time to pursue them. Even if they were on opposite nations, they still loved their potential younger step-brother dearly.

The eldest siblings of Hoshido and Nohr were glad that Corrin was okay despite all the insanity that happened around them. Their fathers would not be pleased with them running off to chase after the Izumo prince, but they had a mission. Ryoma extended his hand out to the dragon prince.

"I'm glad you're okay. We were worried that you would abandon us." Ryoma started. "Come on. Let's go home. Valla and the evil are dead."

"Go home…to where?" Corrin had to ask. "Hoshido? Nohr? Izumo? Please clarify what you mean."

Cloud did not like the tone Corrin was using when addressing the elder siblings. Was Corrin trying to pick a fight with them? Looking over to them, he could see the puzzled expressions they both wore.

"…The Invisible Continent is your home." Marx answered. "You were going to leave it and leave us."

"That's absurd!" Ryoma exclaimed. "Corrin, if you even think of leaving, you realize that you are letting your people down!"

"What…people…"

"The people of Izumo! You have a duty to attend to!"

"…"

"…Corrin, we got to leave." Cloud spoke as he got on the boat next. "You already made your decision…right?"

Corrin snarled at Cloud when he put him on the spot. Ryoma and Marx were ready to attack the blond for suggesting that Corrin abandon everything he knew.

"Are you going to listen to this criminal?" Marx asked darkly. "From the beginning, this man has played you. He now wants you to walk the dark path he does."

"I…"

"He's a murderer!" Ryoma snapped. "He killed Mikoto and was involved in Crimson's murder too!"

Corrin blinked at the name before remembering who she was. He could only feel pity for the Hoshidan prince.

… _Macbeth and Izana made sure that Cloud would be labeled the criminal. Corrin thought to himself. Even if I know the truth of mother's death, they wouldn't believe me…not when things are like this. Everyone's mind is clouded by darkness and the need for revenge. Anankos is already dead…they lost all hope of negotiating with Valla much less each other. War…is inevitable…_

The dragon prince clung to the crown that represented his position in Izumo. The crown…was useless to him. Izumo was in shambles because of Macbeth and Izana. Without a queen, the people turned to the prince that they barely knew. Corrin resented the words that Izana told him. If he never had a choice from the start…then staying on the Invisible Continent would confirm that everything was decided for him. If he stayed and tried to fix things, he would be the scapegoat for everything that had gone wrong while the "criminals" escaped divine punishment. Corrin would not be able to soothe the people and explain to them the truth. They were brainwashed by Izana to believe one thing. If Corrin was more observant as a ruler, he might have been able to change things. As things stood now…

"There's nothing to rule." Corrin mumbled darkly as he slowly turned his back on Ryoma and Marx. "…I never made a decision before in my life. Everything was always chosen for me whether I liked it or not. Even decisions that I thought were mine…were not mine…that is why…"

Ryoma and Marx were horrified when Corrin reached out for Cloud's hand. The mercenary had no problem accepting the dragon prince's hand and pulling him onto the ship. The ship was already starting to rock, so Tink just needed to cut the rope and they would be off.

"Corrin, what are you doing?!" Ryoma snarled as he was prepared to attack the ship. "Get back here now!"

"Corrin, have you lost your mind?" Marx asked him. Compared to Ryoma, he sounded disappointed with Corrin's decision.

"…I'm not going back, Ryoma." Corrin told the brunette harshly. "Marx…I probably did lose my mind. You two tell me that Cloud is trying to trick me…but it's not Cloud. You two…no…both Hoshido and Nohr…have been played by Izana for eighteen years and you haven't realized it."

Of course they wouldn't believe that Izana was the culprit. He was the cheerful, helpful Duke that was the best friend of the Queen of Izumo. How dare Corrin speak poorly of him?!

"That cannot be! Izana was one of the people who cared for you all of your life, and now this criminal is feeding you lies about him to get you to leave?!"

Ryoma was beyond reason in Corrin's eyes. The dragon prince just nodded his head.

"…Yes. It was Izana. He wanted war and he's getting it. After you conquer Valla, you'll turn on each other because your fathers didn't get their way with my mother."

Both did not take kindly to those slanderous words.

"You may brand me a coward for fleeing my home before war breaks out. You may call me a traitor for siding with the "criminal" who took the life of my mother. You may insist I am a child for believing that there was a way to stop Hoshido and Nohr from going to war. I can only hope that my departure will make you two realize that your two countries need to work together to survive…not kill each other in this senseless war."

As wise as Corrin's words were, Cloud had to think that if they found out the truth, things would be worse for the dragon prince. Marx probably didn't know that Leon was killed. When he found out, this entire conversation would be meaningless as the only one who could have murdered Leon who was alive was Corrin. The same could be said for Crimson who Ryoma already marked Cloud as the killer as unrealistic as that sounded.

"…But at the end of the day, nothing will change." Corrin mumbled. "Only I can…and I…"

"WE GOT TO GO!" Tink interrupted. "I hate to cut this conversation short but we got to go!"

Corrin nodded his head to the young sailor's words. "Right…take us away."

"CORRIN!" Ryoma called out in disbelief. "You are going to shame your mother's name…"

"You are also abandoning your friends and the people who need you here." Marx added. "How spineless of you…"

"Ryoma…Marx…"

"Sakura will be so sad." Ryoma growled.

"Elise…will be devastated by your choice." Marx lamented. "…But if this is your decision then…"

Corrin shivered at the menacing glare he received from the elder princes. Something told him that the next words they said would have been along the lines of "If you return here, you are now an enemy to us." The reason Corrin did not hear such a thing was because of Tink. Cloud had pulled the red eyed prince away in an attempt to drag him to the deck. Tink had shot an arrow of some sort that was able to loosen the rope around the ship. The Red Lion ship started to take off as the waves became more violent. It almost looked like a hurricane was coming their way. With Tink's quick reflexes, he would be able to move the boat away from the dock before a nasty wave would hit them. Corrin panicked wondering if Ryoma and Marx would be okay. While he had no doubt they would be fine, he could only imagine the cruel words they would speak when they returned to their fathers about what happened to the former prince of Izumo.

* * *

Three days passed since that terrible incident on the Invisible Continent. Tink had managed to get past the worse part of the storm after the ship took off. He clearly was prepared for the return trip and made sure to take a specific path back to the Outer Continent. The captain woke up early to take a peek outside and could confirm to everyone on the ship that they would be arriving in Hyrule very soon.

"You guys are going to love it!" Tink hummed as he left to cabin where the food was being prepared to eat.

The tension in the air should have been lighter, but that clearly wasn't the case. While Shulk, Tiki, and Ava had no reason abandoning the Invisible Continent, and Cloud, Tifa and Barret were overjoyed at finally leaving the cursed place, the same could not be said for everyone else. Yes, you got Volga who did not want to return to Hyrule after abandoning AVALANCHE, but at the same time, he would go wherever Kamui was going. Nyx and Azura were not bound to anyone on the Invisible Continent therefore they were not missing much if they were to drop everything and leave. Joker had a similar mindset to Azura, but he was concerned for Felicia's health. The young maid was told that her older sister was killed during the confrontation with Izana. She didn't know Flora for long, but she was still in despair over losing the last family member she had. Joker had recalled that Felicia had brought up the disappearance of her father when she was sent away to take of Kamui. She assumed he was dead along with her sister, but it wouldn't matter now seeing as how the Invisible Continent was going to be in a state of ruin in a matter of months.

This left Corrin, Kamui and Bayonetta as the ones affected the most by leaving the Invisible Continent. Bayonetta should have been happy. Cloud was fulfilling her promise with taking her away from the place that took everything away from her. She could start anew. However, the Umbra Witch did not have everything she wanted when she left the Invisible Continent. She might be able to create a portal and return in due time, but she didn't think she was able to create anymore portals after Izana drained her of most of her magic. As a result, she felt empty with the few items that reminded her of her fallen comrades.

Kamui was devastated to hear of her father's death. She knew it was coming, but it didn't mean that she could avoid the pain. Kamui was told to not cry until everything was over, but the dragon princess found it difficult not to shed tears for the death of her father and the fall Valla. If she realized that it was a trap, she might have been able to stay and prevent the two kings from killing Anankos. If she was stronger, she could have prevented a lot of things. Kamui felt all of those years of training was a waste if she couldn't protect a member of her family she had known all of her life. Now, all the dragon princess had left in her life was her twin brother, and he wasn't doing so well.

If Kamui was devastated, Corrin had fallen into absolute despair. He didn't want to speak to anyone and refused to answer his cabin door. Kamui lost her father and her kingdom, but Corrin lost everything in comparison. If finding out the truth about his mother's death wasn't bad enough, he was betrayed by the people he trusted all for the sake of the Outer Continent that was apparently more important than his own home. His chest hurt when he learned Anankos was dead too…killed by the kings that could have been potential stepfathers. Because of Corrin's carelessness, Leon had given up his life to save him, and instead of owning up to his mistake, Corrin had decided to abandon everyone he knew for the sake of an uncertain future with the people who saved his life. Now, he was labeled a traitor to the entire continent and a coward who refused to stay in Valla and keep the continent elevated. Now, the Invisible Continent would be engulfed into a war, and there was nothing Corrin could do to stop it. The one thing Corrin thought he could do as the neutral Prince of Izumo was prevent a war from breaking out. He was so naïve. Macbeth and Izana had already sowed the seeds of discord and made sure Valla would be eliminated. It would not be long until Sumeragi and Garon turned their weapons on each other and declared an all-out war. The winner would claim the entire continent that was already in a state of decay. The human heart was weak…and there really wasn't anything Corrin could do to change that.

What hurt the most was Corrin realizing how powerless he was. He foolishly thought all he needed to do was learn how to protect himself and use his status as prince to convince both sides to not fight. There was bad blood already though and he was just a tool for political marriage from the start. There was no way anyone would listen to him. Leon could have made a difference, but he was dead now, and Corrin had to live with the reality that his actions caused the dark knight's death.

Because Corrin failed to leave the room, it was easy to assume he didn't eat anything for the past three days. One would think that Corrin was starving himself to death, but Tiki reminded everyone that dragons can survive a long time without anything to eat, so he wouldn't die from the lack nutrients any time soon. Corrin was expected to have left the room when he was using the cabin room that served as the restroom before returning to his cabin to continue crying.

Kamui had attempted to talk to him despite her own despair, but he ignored her. Azura had attempted to soothe him with her singing, and while he wasn't a sobbing mess after hearing her voice, he still begged the songstress to leave him alone. Cloud was surprised that Bayonetta tried to talk to Corrin, but when she was getting somewhere, (take out the comma) she chickened out and left, leaving him to sulk again.

Eventually, Tiki would get annoyed that Corrin was still acting like this when they were almost at Hyrule. Corrin needed to think positive. He was going to be in a happier region and help her and the other dragons stop the trouble that was brewing. Shulk went into Corrin's cabin with the green haired Manakete to speak with him. The dragon prince wanted to be left alone, but he realized it wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

"We will be arriving on the Outer Continent soon." Tiki warned him. "You should prepare to leave the room."

Corrin didn't bother to acknowledge her presence in the room and let out a small sigh.

"…You do realize that it is possible to return to the Invisible Continent, later…correct?"

"…No." Corrin finally spoke. "There's nothing left to return to. I'm…a traitor now. They will never take me back…"

"They do not realize your importance as an Invisible Dragon." Tiki reminded him. "As the water dragon in the prophecy, your participation on the Outer Continent will be crucial in dealing with the bigger threats threatening to rise."

"Why would it matter?" Corrin snapped. "Why would it matter if I did a good deed on another continent that needed me? My home thinks I'm a traitor for my actions…and I am! I don't want to deal with war, so here I am on this boat to god knows where! I'm a coward! I can't even be the king to my people! You saw what I did to my crown! My crown…is in ruin and so is the rest of my kingdom!" He glared at Tiki when she saw how upset he was. "What about you? You still have your kingdom, and you abandoned it just to drag my sorry ass out of mine…"

"That is…"

"No offense," Shulk interrupted so Tiki wouldn't have to talk about her kingdom, "but I think you need to think about your future instead of worrying about your past."

At this, Corrin finally sat up from his bed. His anger was now directed at the knight who returned the menacing glare.

"Excuse me?!"

"Sulking about your past isn't going to change it. Instead of being concerned about people who have died for you, you should think about the people who are alive and worrying about you instead."

"You…"

"You still have your sister…you still have your bodyguards…you can get through this…but sitting in this cabin for three days crying over spilt milk isn't going to make anything better for anyone."

Shulk was rather harsh and it surprised Tiki. Shulk was a very kind hearted person and he was rather understanding of people's problems. However, this mission had placed a lot of stress on him, so he came off as uncaring when he was just being blunt.

"…But…"

"…I think I said enough. You should eat breakfast with everyone else. They're waiting for you."

The Monado boy dismissed himself from the room before Corrin could make a retort.

"…I apologize for him." Tiki began. "He is under a lot of pressure to bring you and Kamui back in one piece."

"Really? I couldn't tell." Corrin snarked darkly as he finally stood up from his bed.

"He misses the Prince of Plegia very much." The green haired Manakete explained. "Robin…reminds me of you a lot. He's very lonely and under a lot of pressure in his kingdom. Shulk wants to return and comfort him."

Before Corrin could snark about how he didn't have anyone to return to again (seeing as how both of his long time retainers were dead and his mother's retainers would probably be executed due to their positions in Izumo), Tiki had also dismissed herself. However, she encouraged Corrin to speak to Kamui first if he saw her.

"…She's your only family member left." Tiki reminded him. "Don't let moments like these in life slide…"

What did Tiki mean? Corrin didn't know. He just knew that he needed to get something in his stomach. He was surprised at how he was able to survive without food or water for three days, but he had to remember that he was a dragon.

Corrin awkwardly tip-toed out of the room after Tiki had left to meet everyone in the dining cabin. Corrin expected Kamui to be there, and he would talk to her when he got the chance. However, he wanted to speak to Bayonetta first. When she was brought on the ship, he was certain that she was going to die from exhaustion. She had three days to recover though, so it couldn't have been all that bad.

The dragon prince would end up going to the deck of the ship where Bayonetta and Cloud were. Cloud had his back turned to the Umbra Witch while she was desperately trying to tell him something. They did not notice his presence so they did not react when he slowly approached them. Once he was in range, he could hear their conversation.

"…Thank you, Cloud." Bayonetta could be heard mumbling. "You helped me so much these past three days…"

"That's what friends are for." Cloud spoke rather quickly.

"But we're not really friends anymore…"

"We still are. It doesn't matter if we have an official relationship or not. You're a friend first before anything else."

Cloud flinched feeling the taller woman hover over him. He jolted a bit feeling her arms suddenly wrap around his waist. He blushed madly as a response to this romantic gesture.

"…You kept your promise after all…"

"I-I haven't fulfilled it yet! You haven't seen my home yet!"

"But I'll be free to do what I want soon on a new continent…"

"…Are you scared?"

"Me scared? Please. Who do you take me for…however…I do like the idea of following you wherever you go now…seeing as I have nowhere to go..."

Cloud let out an exaggerated sigh when she said this. Of course this was going to be Bayonetta's decision. She had nowhere to go and no one to turn to but him. Who was he to refuse her companionship? Granted, Tifa was going to be furious, but there wasn't much he could do about that. He loved the Umbra Witch and he certainly did not want to part from her side…not like he would admit that out loud.

"…Fine…you'll get to see my other friends, where I work…my hometown…"

"You two have gotten closer since the last time I saw you two."

Corrin couldn't stop himself from teasing his two older friends. They were taken by surprise at Corrin coming out of his room and looking better than he did when they left the Invisible Continent. His snarky words he threw at them weren't as surprising in comparison to Corrin "recovering" from the trauma he had suffered.

Cloud wanted to push Bayonetta away from him, but couldn't find the courage to do so. As a result, he awkwardly turned his body toward Corrin (and dragging Bayonetta behind him as a result due to her awkward hug).

"…So you finally decided to leave your room." Cloud started. "I hope you were able to sleep."

"I never slept better." The dragon prince lied as he continued to approach them. "…I'm sorry for worrying you two. I just…"

Bayonetta released her grip on Cloud as she urged the silver haired prince to come closer toward them. Confused, he obeyed her. Corrin and Cloud were surprised at her sudden affection gesture to start a group hug. Corrin blushed almost immediately at his head colliding with her breasts.

"You don't have to say anything. We understand."

The Umbra Witch smirked seeing Cloud try to leave the group hug. Due to her grip, he was forced to join in. He did it for Corrin's sake though. He could see the dark eye rings under Corrin's eyes. He was exhausted and needed all the reassurance that he could get now. Now that he was willing to leave his room, perhaps they could finally start the path of healing.

"…I'll take you to my hometown too." Cloud added. "It's a quiet area…you'll love it."

Corrin couldn't really acknowledge Cloud's offer when Bayonetta was insistent on trying to suffocate him with her boobs. He could only make a weak noise causing her to laugh at Corrin's futile attempts at getting away from her. The trio would only break apart when Tink came running out from below the deck with a huge smile on his face.

"Hyrule's in plain sight guys! Come see! Come see!"

The young captain sounded so excited to return back home. It was funny how Cloud was the one that lead the way and displayed the most emotion about seeing the Kingdom of Hyrule. Once they went through Hyrule, it would be a long, straight path to Midgar where he could finally confirm that he wasn't killed in action.

Corrin and Bayonetta in comparison did not know what to expect when they followed the mercenary. They would be arriving at the port, so they would technically be seeing the kingdom as a result. They didn't expect a radiant kingdom shining brightly in the distance as it stood tall with the symbol representing the kingdom.

While Bayonetta was slowly getting excited at the idea of finally walking into unknown territory, Corrin came to a small realization upon seeing the castle of Hyrule from a far distance because of the triangular symbol that could be seen from such a far distance. Even if his kingdom was on the verge of ruin, there were other kingdoms that were prosperous. If Corrin thought positively and searched for a way to save the Invisible Continent…then maybe all the kingdoms that he had grown to love could shine as brightly as Hyrule.

He wouldn't know what the future held unless he took the first step forward into unknown territory with his new comrades...and when he did…a new journey would unfold…

* * *

 **Me: Done with 6255 words.**

 **Li: And so the journey on the Invisible Continent (and the Fire Emblem: Fates universe) ends…**

 **Me: And a new one (for Smash) begins. Notes!**

 **1\. I wanted this scene to play out similar in tone to chapter 6 when Corrin made the decision. The difference is none of the siblings besides Ryoma and Marx are there to see Corrin when he makes his decision. Corrin already considered going with Cloud and did say when he found out the truth of his mother's death that he would probably make a decision. As stated though, Corrin did not take the truth that well. Finding out that Izana forced her to commit seppuku and then learning that Izana influenced the way Corrin was raised all of his life. Everything Corrin thought he did on his own was not necessarily his own choice. As a result, he feels like a puppet if he stays in Izumo. Even if Cloud makes the suggestion to go to the Outer Continent, Corrin still makes the decision on his own from all the information he gets.**

 **2\. If you're confused of the condition of the crown, don't be. Corrin kept it in tact when he was talking to Ryoma and Marx but between the three day time skip, Corrin broke his crown as a symbolic gesture of his connection to Izumo. This happens off screen because Corrin felt like it would be disrespectful to do that in front of Ryoma and Marx. Only when he realizes the gravity of the situation as well as letting Izana's words sink in, he breaks it. This then causes him to shun himself from everyone. If I do this scene, it will either be in a BayoCorn one-shot or in a future story as a flashback since besides this crown breaking scene (and Bayonetta and Cloud getting a little closer through sex again) there really isn't anything worth writing during the three day trip to Hyrule.**

 **3\. The King of the Red Lions ship was upgraded quite a bit…he's not sentiment like he is in Wind Waker…or is he? Regardless, he's no longer a small boat that could hold only Tink. He's a huge ship that could carry cargo from one place to another as well as people. Should Tink get a bigger role in the future, I'll explain why the ship doesn't bother talking.**

 **And with that, this story is pretty much done as well as the Invisible Continent arc being finished. If I put effort into one story (with twenty chapters) the probability of finishing is way higher. This means I can go back to my main Smash verse (even though my obsession is with the Salt Trio over everyone else). I got to finish up a lot of stories, but you can still expect me to start the next chapter of this Fantasy AU in the next couple of weeks simply because I already started the outline. I just need to figure out what happens in the middle because I got the beginning and end of the sequel. The sequel will deal with both Hyrule and Mobius (so that will give you a hint on which Smashers will show up). Thank you to everyone who was able to read this long story. Any questions can be answered in a review response that is not anonymous (this website does not let you respond unlike AO3). Ja ne!**


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